The rice industry in New South Wales, Australia, has benefited from the international flow of germplasm, as have other industries. The aim in this paper is to identify those international flows, and to value their contributions to the industry. Analysis is made of the origins and pedigrees of the rice varieties grown in New South Wales since the 1960s, and the contribution of different germplasm sources are identified, using the geometric rule of partitioning contributions. The analysis reveals that New South Wales has had a significant contribution from international sources, notably breeding programs in the USA. The analysis also reveals that the International Rice Research Institute has had no impact on the germplasm used in New South Wales rice varieties. The changes over time on the role of international germplasm flows are also identified. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.