A memorial service will be held for Mr Wheeler at the Katherine Research Station on Wednesday morning.

Mr Wheeler took on the role over 35 years ago in 1986 and his dedication to the station's research made a major impact on both the local and wider agricultural community.

Born in Mackay in 1955, Mr Wheeler was a leader from a young age - becoming the head stockman at Wave Hill Station when he was just 16.

Sunday Creek Station's Tom Stockwell (and former Regional Director of the department in Katherine) said when Jack joined the Katherine Research Station team he was able to use his skill and experience to return the research farm to its glory days.

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"Jack showed a thirst for new knowledge and skills, and rare ability to assimilate it and make sense of it, become good at it and demand good work from his team," Mr Stockwell said.

"His honest no-nonsense approach to people made for productive relationships with everyone - his own farm staff, the researchers and the bosses, visitors and anyone from any of the primary industries who increasingly saw Jack as their point of contact, advice and solution to a problem."

Mr Wheeler's experience and approach to running the station meant that it became one of the most well regarded agriculture research facilities in Australia, and he was known for mentoring other young agricultural scientists.

The University of Queensland's Emeritus Professor Dennis Poppi said the scientists from the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research who were sent to work on Mr Wheeler's station were incredibly lucky.

"We all benefited from his experience and advice" he said.

"There is no doubt many people owe their successful research to his actions.

"I have worked on many research stations in northern Australia and overseas, and Jack Wheeler has been the best research station manager I've had the fortune to be associated with. This is because of his personal skills, but also his vision for the station and his ability to deliver on that vision."

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade's Katherine Regional Director, Kieren McCosker, said Jack was always willing to go above and beyond in supporting research and development projects.

"Jack was a front-line departmental representative for the general community and broader staff of Katherine Research Station during the response to the 1998 Katherine flood, and the more recent PFAS contamination issue," Mr McCosker said.

"Whenever staff ran into a problem, it was usually solved with a quick call to Jack who would come up with a practical solution and a way to move forward."

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