Luke Evans

For Luke, the connections continue long after the Award

When Luke won the Zanda McDonald Award in 2019, he was managing Rockhampton Downs Station for Cleveland Agriculture, working in a large-scale northern Australian cattle business. At the time, his focus was firmly on the job in front of him.

“I wasn’t really looking outside my box. I was just focused on what I was doing there at that time.”

Winning the Zanda McDonald Award changed that perspective. For Luke, the greatest impact wasn’t one particular visit, conversation or experience. It was the people he met and the network that suddenly opened up around him.

“The greatest thing to come out of the Award is the contacts you gain, both from the old heads in the room and from collaborating with other Award winners and finalists. It gives you the confidence to go and approach anyone who may be of interest to you.”

Those relationships have endured well beyond the Award experience itself. One of the most important has been the friendship Luke formed with fellow 2019 joint winner Shannon Speight.

More broadly, being part of the Zanda McDonald Award network gave Luke the confidence to reach beyond his immediate circle, connect with people he respected and seek out different perspectives.

Growing beyond the station gate

Luke’s career has continued to evolve since winning the Award. He progressed within Cleveland Agriculture from station manager to an Area Manager role, expanding his leadership responsibilities beyond a single property.

He is now based on his own farm, where he and his family have also expanded their farming operation.

While Luke doesn’t attribute every career step directly to the Award, he sees the network, exposure and confidence it provided as an important part of his professional development.

It encouraged him to look beyond the boundaries of his own business and recognise the value of learning from people across the agricultural sector.

That, he believes, is why programs such as the Zanda McDonald Award are important for agriculture’s next generation.

An opportunity that keeps giving

Seven years on, Luke’s view of the Award is perhaps best summed up by the fact that its value didn’t end when his year as a winner did.

The relationships remain. The network remains. And so does the confidence to pick up the phone, start a conversation and learn from others.

For the sponsors and supporters who make those opportunities possible, Luke has a simple message:

“This was the greatest professional development and networking opportunity that I have been involved in during my agricultural career. And one that continues long after you win the Award.”