Tony Parsons

A.D. ‘Tony’ Parsons has worked as a professional sheep and wool classer, an agricultural journalist, a news editor and rural commentator on radio, a consultant to major agricultural companies, and an award-winning stud breeder of many animals. He owned his first kelpie dog in 1944, and in 1950 he established ‘Karrawarra’, one of the top kelpie studs in Australia, and bred the first of his many trial winners in 1954. In 1992 he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to the propagation of the Australian kelpie sheepdog. Since 1947 he has published hundreds of articles, many in international publications, as well as several technical books, including three on the working kelpie. He is also a short story writer and columnist. Tony lives with his wife in Queensland, where he still breeds and shows merino stud sheep and maintains a stud of kelpies.