Robert Krause awarded Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
This article first appeared in Queensland Country Life – by Ben Harden
Marburg community leader Rob Krause awarded OAM
The Order of Australia has recognised community leader and former fourth generation dairy farmer Robert Krause for his service to the community of Marburg.
Robert “Rob” Krause has lived in Marburg for the most part of 86 years. He grew up on his parents’ dairy farm in Marburg and eventually took over the farm from 1972 to 2002.
Mr Krause said he was “extremely humbled” to receive such an honour.
“It was quite a thrill really to learn that I had received this award,” he said
“I just wanted to say that I share this award with my beloved family, friends and former colleagues, all of whom have supported me through the years.”
In his working life, Rob was a dairy farmer for 50 years and had a herd of 80 milkers.
“I raised my children on the farm. This is an area where there was irregular rainfall and there’s literally no irrigation water,” Mr Krause said.
“When deregulation came in, it just made it too difficult for all of us on the smaller farms to keep going.”
Mr Krause is a life member of the Marburg Show society and a congregational member of St Matthews Lutheran Church.
“I’ve had connections with the show society since I was a schoolboy. I’ve been a member of the committee for 58 years and I was president for 11 years,” he said.
Rob is a former member of Ipswich Council City-Country Consultative Group and was chair of the Marburg State School Centenary Celebrations in 1979.
He is also a former treasurer Marburg Rural Fire Brigade and served as a member of the Faith Lutheran College, Plainland, college council from 1999-2009.