Now retired in Alexandra, Mr Wallace was awarded the Heather Perriam Memorial Trophy for services to the merino industry at the Otago Merino Association's recent merino excellence awards in Queenstown.
Receiving the award, which was presented by Tony Jopp, from Moutere Station, in Central Otago, came as a ''complete surprise'' and Mr Wallace said it was a real honour.
When he left school, he never intended making wool classing a career. It was an ''intermediary sort of thing'' but it did become a career, although he was not in the wool industry all his life.
He also trained in leather technology and spent time in the leather trade.
Mr Wallace enjoyed working with ''very special people'' in the merino industry, and said the growers were very dedicated and passionate about what they did.
They were farming on the highest country, where no other farming was viable, and the sheep were up against the elements.
Seeing the formation of the New Zealand Merino Company was a highlight of his classing career, he said.
Another highlight was getting a scholarship to go to England, where he worked for the British Wool Marketing Board and a top-making mill in Bradford. Gaining insight into the processing side of the industry was very valuable.
In latter times, Mr Wallace classed about 10 properties in New Zealand and he also classed in Argentina. He was returning to Patagonia this year to advise on sheep breeding.
New Zealand genetics, mainly from Moutere, had been introduced and it had been ''amazing'' to see the improvement. They were very good all-round sheep, he said.
A good classer needed to be dedicated, plan ahead and pay attention to detail, he said.
For many years, Mr Wallace and his wife Shona ran an organic market garden, which he was able to combine with his wool classing. Gardening was still a major interest for the couple.
At this year's excellence awards, $7800 was raised for the foundation through an auction of various items. Kevin Malcolm, from FMG, bought the winning fleece in the fleece competition - entered by the Jones family from Matarae Station - for a further $2500. Proceeds of all the wool, which was yet to be sold, were still to be added.
There were 133 fleeces entered and a further nine that were donated but did not want to be entered in the competition.
• The Otago Merino Association will hold a field day at Barbara Annan's Lindis Peaks property, at Tarras, on November 1.
The focus will be on the Lindis Peaks operation, followed by a panel discussion, with representatives from the Otago Regional Council and Environment Canterbury, on various compliance issues affecting farmers. The field day will start at 10am.