President Sir Vincent Fairfax Biography

Sir Vincent Fairfax                         (1919 – 1993)

President Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales 1969 - 1979

The son of pastoralists, Vincent Fairfax was born in Queensland. He studied law at Oxford before working at the family owned newspaper, the Sydney Morning Herald, going on to become a director. Many other chairmanships and directorships followed, including the chairmanship of the Stradbroke Pastoral Company.

Influenced by his mother, Ruth, who was a founder of the Country Women’s Association, Fairfax was noted for his involvement with charitable and cultural organisations and his ethical approach to business.

Elected to Council in 1950, he was one of many Fairfax family members to have served the Society. Prior to his election as president he was honorary treasurer and chairman of the Finance Committee.

As president, Vincent  Fairfax was alive to the changing social and economic realities of the 1970s and open to ideas to meet the challenges.  A new master plan was formulated and bold initiatives explored to secure greater year-round profitability from the Showground; these included the redevelopment of the Hordern Pavilion and an unrealised scheme for an amusement park. Responding to falling attendance figures, market research was commissioned and many improvements to the Show were made, especially in the area of entertainment, which was vital to regain the youth market.

In 1966 Vincent Fairfax was elected deputy president of the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth, serving in that role until 1990.

Described as a man of ‘principle, energy and dedication’, by the end of his presidential term, every aspect of the Society’s operation was run with increased professionalism.

A full list of Presidents can be found here.