Raelene Boyle - Keynote speaker at the NAB Agribusiness Beauty and the Beef Luncheon, Friday May 11

Raelene Boyle is one of Australia’s greatest track and field athletes, brought audiences to their feet for over 14 years of international competition.

Whilst Raelene’s athletics career was full of accomplishments and highs, she has also overcome immense adversity in her personal life, battling both breast cancer and ovarian cancer. 

At the age of 17, Raelene won her first silver medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games for the 200m sprint, which was followed by the 1972 Olympics in Munich where she collected two more silver medals, in the 100 metre and 200 metre sprints.

At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Raelene finished fourth in the 100m sprint, but was disqualified from the 200m race for allegedly making two false starts. Unfortunately, a video replay later showed that she had not false started on her first start. However, Raelene received the honour of flag bearer for the Australian team, the first women to do so.

Her final major competitive appearance was at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, where she won gold in the 400m sprint, and silver in the 4x400m relay.

Off the track, Raelene was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, underwent treatment and subsequently, she became a campaigner for breast cancer awareness. After beating breast cancer, Raelene was dealt another blow when she was diagnosed in 2000, then again in 2001 with ovarian cancer. She once again underwent treatment, and again successfully fought her illness.

Raelene has been a NAB Ambassador since 2006 and during this time has worked together with NAB to raise awareness of ovarian cancer, and raise vital funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation. NAB is founding partner of the Foundation, whose ultimate goal is to develop an early detection test for ovarian cancer.

Katrina Goldsworthy - Keynote speaker at the NAB Agribusiness Beauty and the Beef Luncheon, Friday May 11

While most people on their life's journey have to triumph over perhaps one major adversity, Katrina Goldsworthy knows where hardship lies.

Surviving the beef depression, loosing a child to Leukaemia, being a spokesperson representing the community in a State Government Enquiry, relocating with her husband from Emerald to the city with their three young children and starting a new career and lifestyle, breast cancer and more recently overcoming serious heart problems, are just some of the adversities which have influenced her art and outlook on life.

These experiences have enabled Katrina to take up public speaking and discover her artistic talents, allowing her to express her love of the Outback, voice her survival instincts and her artistic calling. 

"You learn to build a reservoir of skills and one day they just come out.”  

At Beef Australia 2012 Katrina will be showcasing her art with her first exhibition, ‘Cowicatures’, featuring her unique and eclectic style which captures the cattle industry.  

Keynote speaker at the Westpac Beef Breakfast, May 9

Raised on a North West Queensland cattle station, Zanda McDonald was educated by Mount Isa School of the Air, followed by secondary school at Downlands College, Toowoomba, during which time he obtained his pilot's license.

After completing school, he returned home to work in the stock camp, he then flew choppers mustering for a few seasons before a three-year stint as head stockman. Zanda then took on a more senior role in the family's business, McDonald Holdings (MDH), including managing Devoncourt Station south of Cloncurry.

In 1996 he toured Soutth East Asia with the Australian Brahman Breeders Association (ABBA) looking for opportunities abroad. On his return, he sought and gained a live export license, and for the next seven years exported primarily company owned live cattle to Indonesia, while living and managing the remote “Rutland Plains Station” in lower Cape York with his new wife Julie. In recognition of Zanda’s industry achievements, he was awarded the 2002 Queensland Rural Manager of the Year award from the Australian Institute of Management (AIM).

To further droughtproof MDH, in 2002 he researched, purchased and designed the state of the art, 10,000 SCU “Wallumba Feedlot” on the Darling Downs. Since its construction, genetic improvement in the herd has been a focal point. 

In 2006, Zanda was asked to chair the inaugural North West Queensland Regional Beef Research Committee, which is part of North Australian Beef Research Council (NABRC).

In December 2007 he sought and gained a meat export license and soon after commenced exporting the McDonald families' new beef brand “WALLUMBA”. The company now exports 140,000kg of beef weekly to 11 different countries. In August 2011 MDH was named the Agforce Red Meat Innovator of the Year for both its work in research and development of the beef industry and also for becoming the only non-Brazilian company licensed to export beef to Brazil.

Currently Managing Director of MDH Pty Ltd, which runs 170,000 head of cattle over 8 million acres,11 cattle stations and a feedlot, Zanda now lives at Devoncourt Station south of Cloncurry with Julie and their four daughters.

David Bondfield - Keynote Speaker at the Westpac Beef Breakfast, May 9

David Bondfield operates the Palgrove Charolais stud with his wife Prue. David’s family was among the first breeders of Charolais cattle in Australia, establishing the stud 42 years ago. The Palgrove cattle are bred and raised in a number of areas in Queensland and New South Wales, including properties at Warwick, Glen Innes, Miles and Emerald.

The stud sells more than 1000 purebred Charolais, Charbray, Brangus and Composite bulls a year and run a commercial beef operation as well. The genetics have sold to all states of Australia as well as Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Canada and New Zealand.  Palgrove bulls have sold to a top of $61,000 and females to a top of $70,000, and the stud has had the highest averaging on property sale in Australia many times in the last decade.

Palgrove has had unsurpassed success in the show ring nationally, with more interbreed awards than any other stud at Sydney and Brisbane Royal Shows and Beef Australia expositions, including winning the Interbreed competition at the Brisbane Royal a record 10 times in the last 23 years. The stud has also been awarded Supreme Beef Exhibit at Sydney Royal three times in the last eight years.

Palgrove Charolais was named the Queensland and National Seedstock Producer of theYear by the Beef Improvement Association in 2002.

David has judged stud and commercial cattle at every major Royal Show in Australia, numerous breed feature shows, national breed show and sales, as well as internationally in New Zealand and Agribition in Canada; the World Hereford Conference and World Limousin Conference at Sydney Royal; World Braford Show at Beef 2006, and the World Galloway Conference in Wisconsin, USA. In June this year, David will judge the World Charolais Congress at the Royal Highland Show in Scotland.

He is a past president of the Charolais Society of Australia. He is also a Stud Beef Committee member of Beef Australia 2012.

David believes that seedstock production should closely reflect commercial beef markets, which he believes is achieved by combining technology and innovation with a common sense approach to cattle breeding.

Mal Meninga, keynote speaker at the Suncorp Bank Sportsman's Lunch, May 11

Yet to lose a State of Origin series as coach, Mal Meninga is a true Queensland icon.

In his playing days, Mal was counted one of the greatest rugby league footballers of all time, renowned for his fearsome speed, power and goal kicking skill.

Mal Meninga was Kangaroos captain in 23 Tests – captaining a Kangaroo Tour on two occasions – as well as leading the Queensland State of Origin team from 1992 to 1994.

Mal departed the game holding the records for most appearances and most points scored for Australia, as well as a record 38 appearances for the Maroons as their leading point scorer in State of Origin, and 5 NRL grand final wins.

Mal has since been honoured as a member of the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, and both the Queensland and Australian rugby league teams of the century.

Today, Mal Meninga’s status in sport and in Queensland continues to grow as Maroons coach. Yet to be defeated in a series since his debut as coach in 2006, Mal’s achievement now stretches to a record six series wins in a row – with no sign of stopping.

A sought-after and engaging public speaker, Mal’s inspiring presence has to be experienced to be truly appreciated. On the eve of Origin 2012, this is your chance to meet a Maroons sporting legend in person.

Steve Walters, keynote speaker at the Suncorp Bank Sportsman's Lunch, May 11

At the peak of his football playing career in the '80s and '90s, Steve Walters was rated the premier rugby league hooker in the world.

The eldest of the famous Walters clan of rugby league players, together with Kevin and Kerrod, Steve made up the first trio of brothers to represent Australia as Kangaroos.

Steve played in the Canberra Raiders’ first three epic grand final victories, as well as in 13 Origin games for the Maroons. A former teammate of Mal Meninga’s at the Canberra Raiders, Maroons and Kangaroos, their successful association continues today with Steve Walters’ management of the all-conquering Queensland State of Origin team.

With a breadth of experience of rugby league that is unmatched, Steve is an entertaining and hugely knowledgeable guest speaker. Together with Mal Meninga, Steve will make Suncorp Bank’s Sportsman’s Lunch at Beef Week 2012 an unmissable event.