The acclaimed father of Australia’s lupin industry and a world-leading authority on lupin as a crop, Dr John Gladstones, died in May, aged 92.

Based in Western Australia, John was also active and successful in the collection, breeding and selection of varieties of subterranean clover. After earning his PhD from the University of Western Australia’s Institute of Agriculture in 1959, he worked for the university for 11 years as a lecturer
in agronomy.

In 1971 he became principal plant breeder with the WA Department of Agriculture, a post he retained until retiring in 1991. John was also an internationally recognised viticulturist.

Early in his career with the department, he identified the Margaret River region as suitable for wine growing. In fact, he persuaded a local farmer, and subsequently wine-making pioneer Kevin Cullen, to not plant lupins but rather vines. From this emerged one of Australia’s premier wine-growing and tourism regions.

John highlighted his work with lupins as being “the core” of his career. Lupin is the largest grain legume crop grown in Australia and has both domestic and export markets. Most of the crop is grown in WA.

In 2022, John was made an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia for his work in primary industry, particularly agriculture and viticulture, and as an author. He is recognised as one of Australia’s most influential research agronomists.

He published an autobiography, Days of lupins, pastures and wine: The story of my background, life and odyssey in science, and also produced a chapter on lupins in the book Agriculture in Western Australia: 150 years of development and achievement 1829–1979.

GRDC’s western office has one of its meeting rooms named after him, recognising his contribution to WA and the grains industry.