Charlie Perry

After a "shove" from a friend (after 6 years of a gentler approach), Charlie finally applied for the Zanda McDonald Award and became our 2022 Australia winner.

He lives and works on his family owned and operated wagyu beef farm at Gurya, in Northern NSW, selling approximately 120 bulls a year, as well as F1 and fullblood feeders. Since taking over management in 2016, Charlie has overseen substantial growth in their family business, despite the challenges presented by the worst years of drought on record.

Charlie grew up on his family's property 'Trent Bridge', however made the decision after school to pursue a corporate role working as a management consultant for Ernst & Young. Charlie's work here saw him working on significant government and infrastructure projects of national significance and those skills have followed him into his current role within the family business, as well as his position as president and chair of the Australian Wagyu Association.

"It’s just a wonderful experience to be a part of and I encourage anyone between the age of between 21 and 35 years to apply."