Ian Hunter

Representative State for Ian Hunter: Victoria
ANBC Hall of Fame, Breeders Excellence Division Induction: 2023

Ian Hunter of Victoria was inducted into the ANBC Hall of Fame – Breeders Excellence Division in 2023, in recognition of an outstanding exhibition career marked by consistency, versatility, and dedication to the budgerigar fancy. With a total of 10 national class wins across a diverse range of varieties, Ian has firmly established himself as one of Australia’s leading breeders.

Ian’s first two national wins came in 2010, where he claimed the Greywing and Cinnamon Wing classes—immediately signaling his ability to produce birds of exceptional quality. In 2013, he returned to the top of the podium with another double, this time winning the Grey Green and Hens classes. These early successes highlighted his strong eye for selection and balanced approach to breeding.

His fifth win came in 2016 with a Dominant Pied, followed by a return to the winners’ circle in 2022 with another victory in the Hens Class—showing that his stud remained competitive and consistent over time. His induction year of 2023 saw an impressive trio of wins in Green, Grey Green, and Cinnamon Wing, bringing his total to nine. Ian’s tenth win followed shortly after in 2024, with yet another success in the Hens Class, a category in which he has now triumphed three times.

Ian’s achievements span over a decade and demonstrate remarkable adaptability across multiple varieties. His ability to breed birds that excel under the national spotlight is matched by his commitment to the wider budgerigar show community in Victoria.

His Hall of Fame induction in 2023 is a well-deserved honour, celebrating not only his exhibition success but also the high standards, dedication, and passion that continue to define his contributions to the Australian budgerigar show scene.

ANBC Wins

Total wins 10

1. 2010 – Greywing
2. 2010 – Cinnamon wing
3. 2013 – Grey Green
4. 2013 – Hens Class
5. 2016 – Dominant Pied
6. 2022 – Hens Class
7. 2023 – Green
8. 2023 – Grey Green
9. 2023 – Cinnamon wing
10. 2024 – Hens Class

ANBC Winning Birds

About Ian Hunter

Ian’s long association within the fancy began when he was as young as six, when he and his father purchased a few birds for a backyard aviary. It wasn’t long after this that he started showing, and already at such an early stage he had bred birds of sufficient quality to win a number of Diplomas while still a junior.

Such was his exposure to budgerigars at an early stage that by the age of 11 or 12 he was accepted into budgerigar judging schools, where it was commonplace in those days to have anywhere from 60–80 participants. In 1958–59 Ian went through the official classes of “Judges School” and was successful in scoring the top points of the 80 fanciers that took part. He joined the Probationary Panel of Judges in 1959 of what was then the B.C.A. (Budgerigar Council of Australia).

Then began his official judging journey, adjudicating at various shows throughout Victoria as well as a few interstate. In the early days, before getting his driver’s licence, Ian was dependent on his father to take him all across the state on judging assignments. Many times they would leave in the early hours of the morning to judge at distant Diploma Shows at the weekend, or he would often judge regularly in the evenings, returning home well after midnight and then be up and off to school the next morning.

Ian progressed rapidly through the various judging accreditations of the day to become a Panel Judge by 1962. He has been judging ever since and is nowadays a member of the Senior Judges Panel of the BCV (Budgerigar Council of Victoria).

Ian was one of the founding members of the Western Suburbs Budgerigar Club around 1956, where he gained Life Membership and held various executive positions, both there and at the current club of which he is a member in Melton.

Two of the preferred varieties Ian enjoyed breeding and perfecting from a young age — and still to this day — are his Normals and Cinnamons. Both of these varieties, along with others, have awarded him more Diplomas, State Championship Class wins, and National Titles (“Logies”) than the majority of fanciers would ever dream of achieving.

Ian would have to be one of, if not the longest-serving judge in the country — a feat that is unlikely to ever be equaled or surpassed. His contributions to the hobby both as a judge and mentor, and his accolades and successes as an exhibitor over such a long period, cannot be underestimated and are to be highly commended.