Outstanding service recognised
- Brad Turner
- 19 hours ago
- 12 min read
Four ANPA members have been recognised for their long-term service to the association with awards announced at the dinner and presentation night held at the 2026 National Show in Wagga Wagga.
Dennis Murphy (NSW) has been awarded an ANPA Master Breeder of the Australian Showpen Homer, Gary Browell (Queensland) and Les Ungvary (dec) (Western Australia) have been presented with ANPA Meritorious Service Awards and Brad Turner (Queensland) with Life Membership.
Dennis Murphy has been named an ANPA Master Breeder of the Australian Showpen Homer.
He was nominated by Greg Kelleher on behalf of the Australian Showpen Homer Club and the nomination was seconded by the club's president Greg Jamieson.
The nomination said Dennis "had proven outstanding achievements in the fields of breeding, exhibition, promotion and distribution of quality Showpen Homer stock.
"Dennis has imported blood lines from Master Breeder Ralph Whitson, a recognised breeder around the world, winning many USA Grand Nationals. This imported bloodline has substantially improved the development of the Showpen Homer, which is nationally recognised.
"Dennis has bred and shown the breed well and truly beyond the 10 years (required by the ANPA Constitution) prior to this application for this award."
Dennis Murphy’s Show Record (past 10 years):
2005 National Champion; 2015 National Champion (Ring No: 2018 yr 2013); 2019 National Champion (Ring No: 1995 – 2018); 2023 National Champion (Ring No: 58 – 2021); 2025 National Champion (Ring No: 77 – 2024); 2006 National Best Young; 2009 National B.O.S; 2005 National B.O.S and Best Young; 2008 National B.O.S and Best Young; 2010 National B.O.S and Best Young; 2019 National Best Young; 2022 National B.O.S; 2025 National Champion and B.O.S and Best Young.
"Dennis has won with four different National Champions under the strongest possible competition and has exhibited beyond his local area."
Notable wins:
South Australian Canary & Pigeon Society – 10x Champion SPH; QLD State Show Roma 2024 – Champion SPH and Champion of Show; Showpen Homer Specialist Show, Warwick – Champion SPH; Melbourne/ Dandenong Club – 6x Champion.
Meritorious Service Award for Gary Browell, ANPA Foundation Member
Nomination by Frank Hayes.
Many of our newer members may not be aware that ANPA Treasurer Gary Browell was one of the original team which focussed on developing ANPA in the late 1970s. His dedication to the formation of ANPA was evident when he offered to assist Graeme Jubb and myself draft our original constitution way back in 1981 which was an essential element for the organisation to service the fancy.
Prior to the establishment of ANPA, Gary, a Victorian at the time, was for many years Co -editor of West Australian Les Ungvary’s publication, the Australasian Fancier. Gary was a prime mover assisting Les in the quest for a national organisation. Up to that time, all our efforts and correspondence was done on a typewriter and with no internet or mobile phones, material had to be posted to fanciers in an effort to seek support for the vision.
Without those media devices it was difficult and very time consuming to locate and track down all fanciers and clubs in Australia. With the joint effort by Les and Gary via the Australasian Fancier circulation, getting our messages out became so much easier to the wider fancy across our vast country.
Gary’s contributions began prior to his role with the Australasian Fancier, being well connected with Victorian fanciers, particularly the Victorian Fantail Club where he became Secretary for many years.
He was also a prolific Modena and Frill breeder, exhibitor and judge and was a long-time member of the Victorian Pigeon Society since 1969 taking on the role as their Secretary in 1979.
Gary was also a member of the Dandenong Pigeon Society and held a committee position there in 1977 when he also joined the Melbourne Pigeon Society. In 1979 he was voted on to their committee also.
After assisting Graeme and I with commencing formal plans for a national organisation he later assisted us with ANPA's submission to the federal government in 1985 to allow live importation of pigeons. Following his move to Queensland in 1996, Showpen Homers had also caught his interest.
Gary freely imparted his own practical working knowledge on colour breeding and genetics throughout and I believe the fancy has benefitted from his practical activities in this area. Gary regularly officiated as a judge also at many clubs annual shows interstate over decades and of course many Nationals and has always been an active but quiet achiever.
After moving to Queensland, Gary became a committee member for ANPA for a number of years and in 2020 accepted the position of ANPA Treasurer following the resignation of Debbie Welstead.
His expertise in managing assets was gained from his working life with a large corporate company. He has served us well in that role over some difficult and changing times. More recently Gary has taken on additional roles – translating hand written ring records each year to spreadsheets for the ANPA website and the difficult task of assembling National show records including setting up the first written records of ANPA memberships.
His recent hospitalisations have slowed these activities but Gary’s dedication to duties will continue. We should salute such fanciers who stand tall when we are in need of so many volunteers.
I propose that Gary be recognised for a Meritorious Service Award in light of his many contributions to the Pigeon Fancy generally and particularly to ANPA’s development and its life since.
Meritorious Service Award for Les Ungvary, ANPA Foundation Member
Nominated by Frank Hayes.
I believe that although much time has passed, the relentless work that was done by the late
Les Ungvary towards the establishment of ANPA and during his membership may never have been recorded or recognised. If this is so, I propose that a Meritorious Service Award be provided to his family.
Les arrived from Hungary in 1948 and settled in Western Australia. He was married, a family man with five children. And we’ve just recently welcomed one son, Imre to our ranks. Les’ first pigeons turned up in 1950 and he later specialised in marked English Long Faced Tumblers becoming Secretary of the Australian Long Faced Tumbler Club in 1985. Alongside these, he established a stud of Nuns which Imre continues with to this day.
Les had embarked on a mission to communicate with pigeon fanciers both nation and world-wide and in 1973 produced his first edition of the Australasian Fancier. This excellent newsletter was the one that began connecting Australian fanciers on a regular basis.
It was the medium to see other ideas on pigeon genetics, breeding and management in other jurisdictions and climates in this Down Under country. That publication ran until his last issue in 1984 with a circulation of over 320. His survey to Australian fanciers was the catalyst to make serious plans to proceed with establishing a national organisation.
Les was instrumental in helping our plans to establish a national organisation to reach fanciers Australia wide through his Australasian Fancier publication. As was his Co-Editor, Gary Browell who lived in Victoria at the time and was also very much on board with my vision.
He also worked hard to promote the cause through that magazine. Quoting Les in 1984 “Since 1973 I have dedicated myself towards establishing a National Pigeon Association in Australia and regarded such body as VITAL for the Australian Pigeon Fancy”. Les made that commitment two years after I had initiated the vision in 1971 at the Adelaide Royal Show at which time Dr Schafer told me it was not needed in Australia.
Fortunately, I then approached Jules DeBrenni at the show who agreed to help pursue the dream and so he did, which provided more momentum for Les to promote the plan.
His publication enabled us to promote that vision to as many fanciers and clubs as possible. This made the promotion and communication for Graeme Jubb, Gary Browell and myself so much easier.
Later, in ANPA’s early years in 1986 Les saw that many changes to the organisation were needed and suggested 14 including changes to the representation of each State/Territory and how it could be better managed.
Additionally, he proposed that ANPA make available Awards such as the Meritorious Service similar to that which he had been awarding from his Australasian Fancier base.
In 1984 his future objective was to provide whatever support he could provide for ANPA particularly as a communicator. He took on the responsibility of Editor of the ANPA magazine but due to failing health was disappointed to have to give it up.
Les’ reach was world-wide where he had many contacts and sourced many valuable ideas. He encouraged discussion on all pigeon matters from fanciers and was passionate to achieve “a federal body which would help fight idiotic by-laws, import restrictions, how many birds we can keep, how long we can fly our birds outside etc., etc”.
Some of that is now a reality.
I propose that ANPA make a Meritorious Servi posthumously for Les in recognition of his significant contribution to the establishment of and his ongoing support of ANPA until his untimely passing. Les was one man who made a difference.
Nomination for ANPA Life Membership Brad Turner
Nominated by Chris Schutz and seconded by Gary Browell.
I feel that Brad has demonstrated both service in his roles but also service going above and beyond, with some compelling evidence and is worthy of being awarded the ANPA life membership award. The following summary outlines some details to support this nomination.
ANPA Membership
Brad has been a continuous and loyal member of ANPA since 2002 which is over a solid period of 24 years in good standing and has been heavily involved not only with ANPA in numerous roles but also involved in the Queensland scene with regards to QPFS and Ipswich, supporting the clubs with various activities and showing at numerous shows in Queensland for years. He was Vice President of Ipswich club for a period and assisted QPFS as his home base. Brad has also attended many National shows over those 24 years, exhibiting his Nuns since 1997 and his Turbits since 2012.
He has been a driving force since the late 1990’s in the ANPA affiliated specialist breed club United Nun Club where he undertook the roles of District Director and later the secretary’s role. Along with promoting the breed and being involved with the sponsorship of the breed at the Nationals shows, he was also instrumental in assisting judges from the USA to attend National shows to judge Nuns four times. This support of the Specialist breed club for Nuns enabled the breed to have a significant international focus and allow the ANPA to have an international support base for the breed. Collaboration and support from the USA and breeders in other countries allowed an international focus for ANPA too.
Treasurer’s Role
Brad first came to put his hand to the wheel for the association and became the Treasurer from 2005 to 2008 because no one else would fill the role. During this period, he maintained the fiscal direction and undertook the work required to balance the books and have them audited. To assist this process to expand, he also got involved in manning the merchandising stand and selling standards books for ANPA. This is pretty much a selfless role and one which ties you to a table and admin work for a fair bit of a national show. It is great promotion and many who do it realise how thankless the role is. Manning the information stall remains to this day one of the hardest jobs to fill at a national show.
Editor/Publicity Role
Brad put his hand up next for the Editor/Publicity Officer for ANPA and took on the responsibility firstly from 2008 to 2013 and then again from 2016 and has been doing it ever since. That is a paid job, but as we know, it is still quite token, and many long hours are put into creating a high-class newsletter that members enjoy across the year. Today we have a newsletter that we are all proud of and it makes its way across the country and overseas. It is always a high-class production. This is entirely due to his skills and experience and of course, the additional hours and time that goes into making it something that we are all proud of.
This is an effort that has provided the life blood to our national hobby. Without the dedication and long hours, this would not be to the level that it is now. Feedback from Europe and the USA is hugely positive
Many may not know but Brad has been highly effective in the role of Publicity Officer too where he has been directly responsible for numerous contacts with national and local television and radio promotion of our national shows. Work with the ABC, Channel 7 and in one case, the story of the program ‘Totally Wild’ where pigeons and the association were given front stage. This has enabled the association to enjoy a significant amount of exposure to many of our national shows and allow exposure to the broader public and promotion in the media. More than a few times the shows have been visited by media that Brad coordinated. This gave the members great exposure, and more than a few fanciers got a great buzz from talking about their breeds in front of a camera.
While there is modest payment by ANPA, the work he has put into publicity, editorial workload and the time and skill that goes into putting photos into our newsletters together in such a polished and professional manner. Nowhere near it. Much of it becomes a labour of love. Especially when there are so few regular contributors who put pen to paper. This is a service to ANPA and one which we have had now for many years and one I hope we continue to enjoy for many years as it is truly the life blood of our association and a communication tool for our members. The same can be said for our website. Where it is vital that these spaces are kept up to date, they continue to be responsive contemporary. Brad has delivered year in and year out on these with effective results. These roles are rare and quite often, associations require more than one person to fulfill what he has done for ANPA. Some of this was acknowledged in 2019 when he was awarded the ANPA meritorious service award. He has also volunteered to take on the job of producing the schedule and catalogue at several national shows.
Queensland Vice President Role
Brad held the role of Qld vice president from 2016 to 2017. In this role he supported Queensland membership with direction and leadership through providing a voice for issues relating to the members. It demonstrates his commitment to ANPA and the greater role of members having representation for their hobby.
Secretary’s Role
The secretary’s role became vacant in 2019 after a few attempts to establish a more permanent holder and because no one else would fill the role. This was a vital time with lots of activity and at a time where the committee was facing significant change with President David Lewis stepping down due to health concerns. Several secretaries had come and gone in short succession, and so, it was important that stability occurred. As well, a very difficult period for the Association with the head winds and aftershocks of widespread Rota disease that blocked shows and presented itself as significant quarantine concern. It was important that we didn’t lose momentum in this pivotal role. He has held the role since then to the present and provides support to the entre committee and executive, around a full spread of activities relating to elections, meetings, national schedules, promotion of shows, ring ordering, and the list goes on as we know. The work around elections is substantial and essential that it is carried out in a timely manner. As well, the management of the information and communication via ANPA Facebook group and the ANPA Committee page in a timely manner is key. Sometimes, over and above becomes normal.
He has been the webmaster for the ANPA website for several years and still is for all the updates and new information for our membership and the wider community. This involves keeping information and updates timely, relevant and professional on the page and by providing support for the members and clubs. He has also provided our membership coordinator with significant assistance and support over time which has enabled a smooth, professional service to be enjoyed by both committee and the members. Several years ago, he was involved in formatting all the reviews that we have undertaken for roles for our website as well as modernizing sections of the constitution, bringing it into a contemporary setting and modernizing it in terms of up-to-date available technology and formatting.
As well as that, there was the body of work that he undertook to enable the online sales of standard book chapters and merchandise happen for members. This was an incredibly large volume of work involving getting our ANPA ABN back, dealing with PayPal and organising a web developer to do the coding on the website, which she did for free as she was a friend of Brad’s. Dealing with the ATO is truly a labour of love.
Yes, it is quite clear that in the last 24 years of Brad’s membership he has become a person who has contributed an outstanding level of service to this association in a range of ways. The level of service has been of a high quality to allow us to improve the professionalism of the association not only for ourselves but for the greater audience outside of our club. In partnership with many of the previous and current committees, we have come along way over the years, and this has been in part due to Brad’s efforts.
In Summary
It is quite clear that in the last 24 years of Brad’s membership and service of ANPA, he has become a person who has contributed an outstanding level of service to this association in a range of ways. The level of service has been of a high quality to allow us to lift the professionalism of the association not only for ourselves but for the greater audience outside of our club. In partnership with many of the previous and current committee, we have come along way over the years, and this has been in part due to Brad’s efforts. As members know, the past two years have been challenging for the association due to significant disruption and instability and that resulted in demands of time and effort well beyond what is usually required for the position. Nevertheless, Brad again stepped up to the demands, and this should not be undervalued and rightfully adds to the volume of activities that have contributed to this application. I see a worthy undertaking and one which qualifies for the summary of the award in the constitution. It’s a significant service to ANPA that he has provided.
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