Royce Elliott retired as Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1993, concluding a career which began in veterinary practice, proceeded through scientific enquiry and finished in the ‘soft end’ of politics. In many ways Elliott’s career provides a reflection of the changing nature of New Zealand agricultural policy development during the second half of the 20th century. This period witnessed a‘changing of the guard’ in terms of policy decision-making.The traditional, empirically based policy of ‘apprentices’,trained in the dairy factories and on the fisheries protection vessels was challenged (and eventually overcome) by the rise of science. Elliott’s role in these changes was as both a scientist and a manager.