The Board established by the Wool Industry Act 1962 had much wider responsibilities than its predecessors, the Australian Wool Board [I] (CA 2267) (1945-1953) and the Australian Wool Bureau (CA 216) (1953- 1963). The functions of the Board as set out in the Act (section 24) were:
 
 a) to promote the use of wool and wool products in Australia and 
    other countries;
 
 b) to inquire into, and from time to time report to the Australian 
    Wool Industry Conference upon, methods of marketing wool and any 
    other matters connected with the marketing of wool; and
 
 c) such other functions as are conferred on the Board by this Act 
    or, being functions conducive to the achievement of an object of 
    this Act, are approved by the Minister.
 
Provision was made for the appointment of non-woolgrower members, and the Board was also given the power to enquire into the marketing of wool. Other important changes were:

 1) that the Board was empowered to make recommendations to the
    Minister on expenditure of research funds. This led to the
    establishment of two advisory committees on this subject; and
 2) the woolgrowers lost their traditional independence from
    Government aid, as it was decided to match grower contributions
    for promotion and research on a pound for pound basis.
 
The new approach was reflected in the membership of the Board. Apart from the chairman there were six woolgrower members all appointed by the Australian Wool Industry Conference (formed in October 1962), with each woolgrower body represented at the conference nominating three members. There were three non-wool-grower members and a Commonwealth Government representative with the former coming from such backgrounds as managing directorships of woollen mills, trading banks etc. and from the wool-buying field. At this time, the Chairman was Sir William Gunn, the Chief Executive Officer Mr R.B. McMillan and the Secretary Miss G. MacKinnon MBE. The other members were P.A. McBride and C.D. Rinshaw (nominated by the Australian Wool Industry Conference); A.D. Senger, O.B.E. (representing the Commonwealth); and S.S. Neville, A.N. Armstrong, C.B.E. and D.A.S. Campbell (1)
 
The Wool Industry Act 1972, proclaimed to come into operation on 1 January 1973 (2), repealed the 1962 Act, thus abolishing the Board, and created the Australian Wool Corporation (CA 2004) to assume the functions of the Board.
 

References

(1) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No.40, 9 May 1963, p. 1625 
(2) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No.130, 20 Dec.1972, p.2
Historical agency address
Wool House, 578 Bourke St, Melbourne
Legislation administered
Creation: Commonwealth of Australia Acts, No. 99 of 1962, Wool Industry Act 1962
Abolition: Commonwealth of Australia Acts, No.111 of 1972, Wool Industry Act 1972