FORMER CBH chairman and Medal of the Order of Australia recipient Harry Walter Gayfer, better known as Mick, passed away earlier this month.
Mr Gayfer was CBH's longest standing chairman and a true visionary for the co-operative - he served as a grower director on the board for 37 years (1959 - 1996), 25 years of which he served as the chairman.
Former Mukinbudin farmer Allan Watson took over as chairman of the co-operative after Mr Gayfer stepped away and said it was an incredibly tough act to follow.
"Mick put so much into agriculture in WA and was a true legend of CBH, actually he was a legend of the whole of the Australian grain industry," Mr Watson said.
"He had a very strong personality, was a great leader, an excellent chairman and such a great contributor to rural Western Australia.
"He was also a bit of a character - he didn't mind a cold drop on a hot day, he was strong and very knowledgeable, but he always listened and he was a very likeable man who made friends all over Australia through his work in the grain industry."
A passionate advocate of the co-operative and delivering value for WA growers, Mr Gayfer was instrumental in securing the land and raising funds to build the Kwinana Grain Terminal.
It was a huge task that was completed in 1974, resulting in WA having the finest and most innovative bulk grain handling facility in the world at the time.
Mr Gayfer was known as a hard worker, brave and incredibly courageous, and some of his long-term strategies included not only the Kwinana Grain terminal but also the Metro Grain Centre, and the rationalisation of receival points in the 1970s.
Imre Mencshelyi, who served as CBH chief executive officer for a spell while Mr Gayfer was chairman, said Mick did a huge amount of work behind the scenes and hasn't received anywhere near enough fanfare and recognition for that over the years.
"To me, he was not only a mentor, but he was CBH for 37 years," Mr Mencshelyi said.
"I was but a junior when Mick was at his heyday as chairman of the board and a visionary for CBH and the grain industry at large.
"Some of the initiatives that he introduced into CBH have left a legacy longer than anyone else and they are still recognised as being very beneficial to the graingrowers of WA."
While he held great trust in the next generation of leaders, Mr Gayfer also was a strong believer in remembering the history of the organisation and how the co-operative began.
He made a positive contribution in developing a co-operative family, gaining great respect from members and employees, of which many friendships have lasted over his lifetime.
"Mick was the patriarch and his wife, who passed away a month ago, was the matriarch - they made everyone feel welcome into the organisation," Mr Mencshelyi said.
"There was an expectation that you performed but there was also an expectation that you would become part of the family, which set the organisation into the future very well."
Mr Gayfer was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1991 for services rendered to WA and to the Australian grain trade and community, and then awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1997, in recognition of service to primary industry.
The thoughts of Farm Weekly and the agricultural community are with Mr Gayfer's children Lorraine, Harry and Glenda and their families.