Wheat

Ken Sampson

Thursday 8 October, 2009
Ken Sampson

Ken Sampson, affectionately known as ‘Sambo' was a work colleague and friend of many in the Goulburn Valley. Sadly, Ken passed away on Thursday 8th October 2009. His passing was both sudden and unexpected.

Ken's earliest forays into agriculture were spent in Kerang, training in irrigated agriculture followed by several years in Swan Hill as an Extension and Applied Research Officer.

This was followed by a stint as Principal Advisory and Senior Project Officer for the Indo-Australian Cattle Breeding Project in Hissar, Haryana, India before returning to Echuca to work as a district Extension Officer.

In 1994 Ken became the Executive Officer of the Shepparton Irrigation Region Regional Catchment Strategy. In 2004 Ken resigned from DPI to work for the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority as Executive Officer of the Shepparton Irrigation Region Implementation Committee, a position he administrated until his death.

Rarely without a book of raffle tickets, Ken was actively involved in Mooroopna community and sporting group committees, especially Apex and footy, and was a strong supporter of local charity events. He was also a keen Brisbane Lions' supporter.

Ken was a solid believer in the strength of community and what people could achieve together. His passion for and understanding of natural resource management was a strength that co-workers were fortunate to benefit from.

Sambo will be missed very much for his dry wit and dogged determination in understanding policy implications brought about by changing environmental needs in recent years.

His perceptions and advice were given freely and his support for young scientists was always encouraging, especially when collaborating for presentations at Conferences.

Ken Sampson was a unique man and the gap he leaves will be very difficult to fill. May he rest in peace.

Maree Sampson gives us a behind the scenes insight into her beloved Sambo.

  • Ken and Maree met on a blind date organised by a friend at an Apex function.
  • Ken believed strongly in the freedom of speech and water for everyone to drink from the tap.
  • Ken adored all his grandchildren. He was a front row attendee at various fashion parades in their lounge room where his granddaughter would model her latest outfits. She would take great delight in telling Poppy, "Nan said you bought it."
  • Ken and Maree both had their own sections of the garden. Ken would deliberately throw weeds into Maree's section of the garden.
  • Ken loved a laugh and was an avid theatre goer. He especially enjoyed the Comedy Festival each year. He would spend three of four days taking in all the live shows. One year they saw five shows in a day.
  • Ken was water boy for the junior football and was passionate about encouraging kids to participate in sports. It didn't matter if you won or lost but the fact that you had a go. He was Team Manager for the Mooroopna Football Club and loved every second of it.
  • Ken had been attending the Diabetes Clinic prior to his passing. He was so proud that he had lost weight and was excited about getting new pants. The clinic was helping him address a holistic approach to his health.
  • Ken was an organ donor and from his passing his two kidneys were donated to two young men who had both been dependent on dialysis for many years. Both are doing very well. Ken's corneas and scleral tissue were also donated and have been stored for transplantation at a later date to be used for reconstructive surgery to give a more natural appearance to a person who has lost an eye. A small section of Ken's spleen has been donated to the dendritic cell research program, which seeks to understand the role of these cells in immune response.

The Goulburn Broken CMA acknowledges and respects First Nations people and the deep connection they have with their land and waters.


We acknowledge the Yorta Yorta and Taungurung people and their ancestors/forbears as Traditional Owners of the land and waters in the Goulburn Broken Catchment (and beyond). We value our ongoing partnerships with Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation and Taungurung Land and Waters Council for the health of Country and its people.


We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge and recognise the primacy of Traditional Owners obligations, rights and responsibilities to use and care for their traditional lands and waters.

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