UPFRONT vale

The Western Australian potato and vegetable industry has lost one of its most dedicated and respected voices. Jim Turley, who served with distinction as Executive Officer of the Potato Growers Association of WA and vegetablesWA, passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy of service that touched growers, colleagues, and communities across the state.

Words Georgia Thomas, Senior Project Manager, Potato Growers Association of WA

JIM was commended by the Potato Growers Association of WA Committee of Management and recognised as a Life Member of vegetablesWA for his many years of service to industry. To those who worked alongside him, however, his contribution went far beyond any formal acknowledgement.

A life shaped by the land and the sea

James Irving Turley was born in September 1943 in Fremantle and grew up in coastal WA. Like many boys raised near the ocean, the sea became part of who he was. Jim was a keen surfer and an active member of his local surf lifesaving club, embracing the freedom and camaraderie that beach life offered.

An intelligent and determined young man, Jim went on to obtain a degree in agriculture, a path that would define much of his working life.

He began his career with Goldsborough Mort & Co, which later became Elders, and his work took him throughout regional WA, including managing properties at Narrogin and Dumbleyung.

It was in Dumbleyung that many important chapters of Jim’s life unfolded. He married in 1965, and together they welcomed two children, Wayne in 1967 and Louise in 1969, both of whom remained an important part of his life and his legacy.

A man of community

Jim threw himself wholeheartedly into community life wherever he lived. He participated in football, basketball, and water sports, enjoying competition and the lasting friendships that sport creates. In Dumbleyung (a town that became internationally known in

1964 when Donald Campbell set the world water speed record on the lake) Jim, alongside several local farmers, recognised the potential of the lake as a place for community recreation. Through determination, cooperation, and no small amount of persistence (including overcoming resistance from various authorities), a club was established that continues to be enjoyed to this day.

This was entirely typical of Jim: practical, community-minded, and always willing to get involved.

In 1970, Jim was promoted and moved to Cranbrook, later taking on the management of a large 4,000 acre farming property, overseeing sheep, cattle, and cereal crops.

Agriculture was not merely employment for Jim, it was something he understood deeply and cared about passionately.

He was subsequently elected to the Harvey Shire Council, where he represented his community with distinction, including involvement with the Harvey Honey Corporation, chaired by Robert Holmes Court, and a sister city relationship with Salento. He also served as a Justice of the Peace, such a fitting role for someone who valued fairness, responsibility, and service.

Jim believed strongly in opportunities for young people. He introduced junior football to Harvey, helped establish the Oscar Peak program, coached teams, served as club president, and successfully secured state funding for a clubhouse.

A champion for WA growers

In 1989, Jim moved into the potato industry, as Executive Officer of the Potato Growers Association of WA and vegetablesWA.

He was a tireless presence at industry events, trade shows, field days, and in the corridors of government; always striving to secure the best outcomes for the people he represented.

His son Wayne recalled his father’s passion vividly: “He advocated hard for every cause, whether it was supporting tomato growers one day or defending potatoes the next.”

Jim was known as strong-minded, direct, precise, and meticulous in everything he did. People knew where they stood with Jim, and they respected him for it.

Family and later yearsFamily and later years

For the past 23 years, Jim shared his life with his beloved partner Irina, whom he met through friends. Irina’s son Andre also became an important part of Jim’s life. They built a solid relationship of grace, affection, and mutual respect, including travelling together to Russia, where Jim met Irina’s father.

His contribution to the WA vegetable industry was immense. Jim was among the first to advocate for country of origin labelling on fresh produce, fighting hard for WA growers a full decade before the federal government introduced national requirements.

In his later years, when Jim was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Irina cared for him with unwavering devotion and strength. Her love and commitment allowed Jim to remain surrounded by dignity, familiarity, and compassion throughout the challenges of his illness.

A legacy of contribution

Jim Turley leaves behind a legacy not simply of titles or achievements, but of genuine contribution. Communities were strengthened because he stepped forward. Clubs were established, opportunities created, friendships forged, and a family loved with a steadfast mind.

He was a man who believed in hard work, fairness, commitment, and community. Although his illness meant that many had not been able to see him in recent years, it never erased the impact he had on so many lives.

He is survived by his partner Irina, his children Wayne and Louise, his grandchildren, and the many hundreds of growers and industry colleagues whose working lives were made better because Jim Turley turned up, spoke up, and never stopped advocating for Western Australian agriculture.

Vale, Jim Turley.

A friend to growers, a servant of community, and a man of the West.