Australian Wool Network auctions donate $17,460 to Royal Flying Doctor Service

Facilitated by Australian Wool Network (AWN), the last of the three sales was held at the Melbourne woolstores, where two bales, ranging in micron from 16.2-18.2, sold for an average of $3317 a bale.

This average is up on the same charity auction last year, where two bales sold to an average of $2412 a bale.

This followed two sales at Fremantle and Sydney the day prior, which raised $6927 and $4192 respectively.

Both bales at Melbourne were purchased by Modiano Victorian wool manager Lou Morsch, who said it was an honour to support a worthwhile charity.

The donation to RFDS comes as the organisation, which works to provide emergency medical and primary health care services to anyone who lives, works or travels in rural and remote Australia, celebrates its 90-year anniversary.

RFDS’s Rohan Morris attended the sale, and said he was “thrilled” by the result.

“This money is going to be donated back to Victorian services so Victorians can access better health care in regional and remote areas,” Mr Morris said.

He said the money would specifically go towards primary health care services, like the dental truck, and remote consultations, also known as 'tele-health consultations'.

“It’s wonderful to see a regional-based industry giving back to rural and remote communities, the RFDS really values AWN’s support each year and it’s even more special to get such a bumper result during our 90th anniversary year. What a great birthday present!” he said. 

Over a period of 15 years, AWN has now raised a total of $144,680 for the RFDS, with wool donated nationally by its woolgrowers.

AWN managing director John Colley said the money raised goes back to the communities that their clients come from, providing access to services that would otherwise not be available to them.

“The RFDS is always there, providing extensive primary health care and 24-hour emergency services to people over an area of 7.69 million square kilometres,” Mr Colley said.

“This is a great opportunity for AWN to give back. To simply say thank you to the RFDS for looking after our mates in the country who work so hard to keep us in wool and our dynamic industry alive and thriving.”

He said the strong result was reflective of the current state of the sheep and wool industry.

“It was great to see our big year in wool sales reflected in the total amount raised this year,” he said.