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FREESee inside formailing rates

Vol 25, No 2, August 2009 ISSN 0114-7811

Last Side Publishing Limited, PO Box 102, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand

Promoting our industry, sport and people

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CONTENTS 5 Royal Welsh and Corwen Shows 7 Book review Frederick Wolseley 8 “George Potae saved my life.” 11 Shearing sheds are noisy14 Tribute to Gina16 Obituary: Henry Cross18 KerryBranniganprofile22 Take a break - legally!23 Painter turns writer (book review)24 Golden Shears 50th Jubilee26 Wool products on-line 27 Medals mystery deepens28 Newstead Shed and Tom Roberts30 More inductees to Aussie Hall32 Welcome to Wales next year34 How’s your back?

UNDER COVER STORY

Vol 25, No 2, August 2009

ISSN 0114 - 7811

ShearingPromoting our industry, sport and people

Photo credits: Cover: Peter Nickolaison; p5 Victor Herbert; p7 Ian Itter and Peter Berry; p25 Anon; p26 Morrison McDougall; p27/28/30 Bernie Walker; p29 John Mason (Newstead) and Barbara Newton; p31 Barbara Newton; p34 Janice Gillgren; p36 Mike Bool; p38 Donna MacKenzie, Jeff Crengle; others Shearing magazine/Last Side Publishing Ltd.

Publisher: Last Side Publishing Ltd, Box 102, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand. Tel 07 839 2891: Fax 07 843 8944: Email: shearingmag@xtra.co.nzPrinting: APN Print, Tauranga.Copyright: All material subject to usual arrangements.Subscribe to Shearing: New Zealand - send name, postal address and $20.00 cheque to receive six issues (two years) of Shearing. Australia - send name, address and cheque $NZ25.00 (equivalent) for two years subscrip-tion. Other countries - send name, address and cheque $NZ50.00 (equivalent) for two years subscription.

Cover: Laurie Keats of Masterton, appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the New Zealand Queen’s Birthday Honours, June 2009.

Next edition deadline for all material: 5 November 2009. Meantime, take care out there

and happy travelling.

Laurie Keats almost featured on the cover of Shearing magazine once before – getting as close as this page 3, in fact, a year or two back. That’s not to say he hasn’t deserved to be front page news until now!

Laurie became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours announced in June, the latest recipient from the shearing and wool industry to receive “Royal recognition”, in Laurie’s case for his wide-ranging contributions over the past half century or so. From his beginnings with the Wairarapa Young Farmers in the late 1940s and organising of competitions which eventually led to the inaugural Golden Shears in 1961, Laurie has toiled endlessly for the betterment of shearing as a sport and as a profession.Irecalloneofmyownfirstmeetingswith“MrKeats”,

a mere 20 years ago, when he was relating stories of his travels in 1983 through European countries such as Hungary, Yugoslavia and Poland. He was promoting shearing skills and techniques for the International Wool Secretariat and happened to be wearing, one day in Poland, a jersey with the words “World Championships” on it.TheEnglish-speakingabilityofthelocalswasnotflash,

Laurie explained, but one in the group looked at the jersey and knew enough to say, “Aahh, you world champion shearer?” Laurie immediately tried to put them straight with a vehement ‘No!’ “Aahh, you very modest!”

“I again said ‘no’ and he continued – ‘But nobody can beat you!’ At that point all I could do was give up – I mean how would they even start to try and visualise David Fagan!”

Not a world champion shearer, but certainly a champion of world shearing as Laurie went on to serve as President of Golden Shears World Council.Inmorerecentyearsofcourse,Laurie(withsignificant

others) has put his “spare time” (read 24/7!) into the establishment of the Shear History Trust and Shearing Museum in Masterton, providing a fantastic home for shearing history and memorabilia that must be the envy of just about every other sporting code in New Zealand.

Laurie apparently told the Wairarapa Times-Age that he’d felt uncomfortable about saying “yes” to accept the Royal Honour. He might have been more “uncomfortable” if those who made the nomination on his behalf had subsequently found out that he’d turned it down!

Well done, Mr Keats.

Des Williams (editor)

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Beiyuan Shearing Gear lowest possible prices! * Normal combs - $18.00 each * Cover combs - $20.00 each * Nine-tooth combs - $20.00 each * Cutters 4.5 mm - $3.80 each * Cutters 3.5 mm - $3.80 each * Beiyuan handpieces $450.00

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For more details contact

Dave Bateman Shearing Supplies Main Road, Milburn, RD 2, Milton, South Otago

Specialising in mail order shearing gear around New ZealandFreephone 0800 83 73 00

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Royal Welsh and Corwen Shows

Matson Shearing LtdPO Box 7125, Wanganui 4541

Motivated and reliable staff wanted. Busy main shear and second shear run.

Good food and top class accommodation.

Phone Lee : 06 344 5224Mob. 0274 425 443

By Tom HardingThe atrocious weather did little to dampen spirits at this year’s Royal Welsh Show, and despite a twelve-hour del-uge occupying most of Tuesday and sporadic cloudbursts throughout Wednesday, thousands of dry sheep found their waytoLlanelweddwiththeefficiencyandprecisionofawell planned military operation.

In fact, the relative warmth, dryness and comfort of the shearing pavilion was undoubtedly one of the best places to be amongst the Glastonbury-esque car parks, walkways and exhibitors’ tents, complete with ankle-deep mud and puddles the size of small lakes.

Wellies were the fashion accessory of choice this year for all but the bikini-clad young ladies witnessed mud-wrestling onthefloorof theYoungPeople’sVillagebeer tent,whowereclearlysufficientlyinebriatedbeyondcaring.

Anyway, that’s quite enough of that, back to the shear-ing! The year of 2009 saw history being made with a new OpenChampion and a first win forWales at the RoyalWelsh in the shearing test against New Zealand.

James Fagan, after narrowly scraping into the three-heat opensemi-finalin16thposition,wentontoqualifythirdintothefinalandthenwonimpressively,makinghimthe19th shearer to win the Open Championship.

Second place went to David Fagan by 0.2 of a point (afirstandsecondcombinationthatwouldberepeatedatCorwen the following weekend), while third place went to the local favourite, Welshman Ian Jones. Johnny Kirk-patrick, after top-qualifying in the heats and qualifying secondinthesemi-final,endedupinfourthplace.

Wednesday’s climactic event saw the Welsh shearing team of Nicky Beynon and young Gareth Evans achieve an historic win over New Zealanders Johnny Kirkpatrick and James Fagan, thereby levelling the three-test series at one-all after a loss at Lampeter on Saturday. This set the scene for a thrilling decider at Corwen the following weekend, which was clinched by New Zealand, thereby winning the test series 2-1.

With the completion of the 2009 Welsh Open circuit at

John Kirkpatrick, top qualifier in the Royal Welsh Open but bowed to James Fagan in the final.

Corwen, the team to represent Wales at the 2010 World Championships has now been selected. Members are: manager, Brian Pugh. Machine shearing: Gareth Evans and Gareth Daniel. Woolhandling: Bron Tango and Meinir Evans. Blade shearing: Elfed Jackson and John Till. The machine shearing team of Gareth Evans and Gareth Dan-iel will be spending the UK winter training extensively in New Zealand in preparation for 2010.Aswellasfine-tuningtheirshearingskillsandbringingtheirfitnessuptopeak,letshopethattheymanagetoim-port some decent summer weather back to Wales in time for July 2010!

Results: Royal Welsh Show 2009Champion Shearer of Wales: Gareth Evans.Test: Wales 1, New Zealand 2.Open Shearing: James Fagan 1; David Fa-gan 2; Ian Jones 3; John Kirkpatrick 4; Matthew Smith 5; Wyn Jones 6. Senior: Ian Kirkpatrick 1; Ian O’Connor 2; Josh Bruton 3; Wille Hewitson 4; Tipene Te Whata 5; Gary Tay 6. Intermediate: Arwel Jones 1; Llion Hughes 2; Dafydd Roberts 3; Dylan Davies 4; Brian Roberts 5; Neil Lawrence 6. Women’s championship: Una Cameron 1; Carol Hodge 2; Sioned Thomas 3; Kerri Mc-Bride 4; Mel Beynon 5; Susie Parish 6.Open woolhandling: Linda McWhirter 1; Meinir Evans 2; Bron Tango 3. Blade Shearing: George Mudge 1; Elfed Jackson 2; John Till 3; John T Jones 4; An-drew Mudge 5.Cneifio Corwen Shears full results can befound at www.cneifiocorwenshears.com

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Poverty Bay A&P AssociationShowgrounds Park

GISBORNESpring Show 16 - 17 October 2009

Friday 16 October 2009 starts 1.00pmSpeedshear: Int., Sen., Open TPM: $1545

Saturday 17 October 2009 starts 8.30amShearing: Jnr. EF $10 TPM $500

Int. EF $12 TPM 500Sen. EF $17 TPM $600

Open EF $30 TPM $2,500Local, Junior, Senior, Open woolhandling TPM $1110

All postal entries to:Event Manager Derek Allan, PO Box 2186, Gisborne 4020

tel 06 868 6084, fax 06 868 8011Email info@gisborneshow.co.nz

Enter before 30 September for free reserved carparkWhat’s this got to do with shearing? Everything, Steve Cottrell

and friends might suggest. From our file archives 1995, celebrating 25 years of Shearing magazine.

Brannigan Eastern Shearing Limited We are a growing company always on the lookout for good quality staff with the right attitude. We cover all Hawke’s Bay, and some. Work is well organised as our management staff work hard to make things work when they say they will. We keep the staff informed. For the crews we provide plenty of work, with our main summer run from November to February and our main winter run from May until August. * We also have permanent places for the right people. * We have a zero tolerance for bad attitudes and encourage staff betterment.. * EveryWednesdayispaydaywhetherornottheshedisfinished. * We hold your holiday pay if required. * Our crews are all fed so no more taking lunch to work. * We provide modern comfortable vans. * Accommodation is provided if needed. * Our rates of pay are above average for the area and are negotiable, dependent on a number of factors but mostly YOU. * We encourage learners and have our own training in place so you will quickly learn if you want to.

If you are looking for a place to settle down then we may have space for you. If you require work and plenty of it then youneedtogetinearlyaspositionsfillupfast.Wewantpeoplewithagoodworkethic.Ifyoulikeshortdaysandarelooking to get home early don’t call. If you: 1. Are happy to go to work: 2. Want to go somewhere with the job, yourself and/or a career in the future; 3. Can communicate with everyone. That is clients and fellow staff; 4. Have respect for yourself; 5. Have a positive attitude; 6. Care about the job; 7. Can do without excessive amounts of alcohol.

Call: Brannigan Eastern Shearing Ltd. 06 876 4176. Address: 906 Heretaunga Street East, Hastings

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“Where shearers meet in Ranfurly.”

E W E N I Q U E S H E A R I N G PA R T N E R S H I PWe service a large Wairarapa client base and offer both permanent and seasonal positions for profes-sionally motivated shearers and woolhandlers. Full accommodation available.

Phone Rick MacLeod 06 377 1942Chub Lett 06 379 8291

Members NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association

By Steve PentreathAustralianwriterIanItterhasproducedthefirstfull-lengthbiography of Frederick York Wolseley, the man generally credited with the production (if not the actual invention) of the “modern” shearing handpiece.

Published and launched in Australia late last year, Fred Wolseley – A Man of Many Parts cover’s Wolseley’s life from early days in Ireland and his arrival in Australia as a 17-year-old. Within a few short years Wolseley had gradu-ated from station-hand at Cobran Station, near Deniliquin (owned by his brother-in-law) to a man with significantproperty holdings in his own right.Ian Itter first heard theWolseley name when discuss-

ing cars with his mates, as he owned a Morris produced by the Wolseley company. Adding to the story, his foreman showed him the old workshop in South Melbourne where Wolseley and Herbert Austin worked on their inventions.

Decades later, Ian was travelling to Deniliquin when the Wolseley name appeared at Caldwell, between Barham and Deniliquin. Curiosity aroused, the desire to discover the story behind these English motor vehicles and the connection between Wolseley and Austin in Australia led to four years of in-depth research and this book.Like all good mysteries, evidence was hard to find;

however, every discovery fuelled the desire for more in-formation. Ian found the Australian connection started much earlier than the Wolseley car. With the onset of the greatest drought in Australia’s history and the need for water on his stations, he was a pioneer in outback Queensland in the conservation and distribution of arte-sian water, inventing a scoop to build bore drains.

His submission to a Royal Commission in 1885 into water conservation in the Darling River system contained ideas still being discussed today. Where his stock was at high risk of attack by dingoes, Wolseley developed a pre-ringlock fence which can still be seen today near Glen Innes, New South Wales. He also invented and manufac-tured his own barbed wire. Aware of the need for a more efficientwayofharvestingthewoolclip,Wolseleypur-chased patents and with his ability to invent and design, he and his associates developed the Wolseley shearing handpiece which was patented in 1887.

Copies of this remarkable 450 page book are available from the author, Ian Itter, 4/19 Naretha Street, Swan Hill, Victoria 3585, for $65.00 plus postage. Phone 61 3 5033 0364. Email orionsup@bigpond.net.au.

If it wuzn’t fer Mr Wolseley ...

Author Ian Itter and John Wolseley at the launch of the Frederick Wolseley Story late last year

Horseworks-driven Wolseley overhead gear from Yamma Woolshed, re-erected for the Wolseley book celebrations

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MICHELLE SHEARING LTD18 Johnson Street, Milton

Staff required allyear-round

PHONE TONY MICHELLE

03 417 8312

By Tony Mathews Anyone who has had a go at being a shearing contractor can tell a story or two about a wayward youth who found direction and self-esteem though involvement in the shearing industry, but this one would be hard to beat.

I met him in the bar of Coromandel’s bottom pub the day George Potae was laid to rest in the paddock across the road from his house. (How did he manage to arrange thatIwonder?)HewasMaori,inhisfifties,welldressedand friendly looking, so guessing he had been at George’s funeral, I went over to say “Gidday”.

“Been over at Kennedy Bay for George’s funeral?” I proffered as an opener. “Too right,” he replied, “there’s no way I was going to miss that. George Potae saved my life.”

“Yeah, how’s that then?” I asked.“Well, it’s a bit of a long story really,” he replied, “and

it goes like this.” Thus he began to relate the most extraordinary tale of

cruelty, courage, kindness, determination and eventual triumph, worthy of a four-part TV mini-series, that I have ever heard.

“When I was twelve I didn’t have much of a family life. I stopped going to school, and started hanging round the streets where I soon came to the notice of the law. No one quite knew what to do with me, so they made me a ward of the State, got two friendly doctors to say I had a mental problem, and shoved me in Lake Alice Mental Institution where I was to remain until my eighteenth birthday.

“Lake Alice wasn’t just a mental hospital, it was a prison as well. I know because I helped build it, that’s why they knocked that part of it down real quick when they closed it, and they didn’t want people to know it had been a prison. There was no youth facility back then so I was thrown in with all manner of criminally insane inmates, injected with god knows what every day, and subjected to every abuse you could imagine.

“By the time I was fourteen I could stand it no longer, and I resolved to end my life. One of the other inmates was George Wilder. George and this other fella took pity on me, and when I told them I was going to end my life they said, ‘Shit mate, there’s gotta be a better way than that. We’ll work out an escape plan for you.’ True to their word they did just that, and I duly escaped.”

I became so caught up in the story this bloke was telling

“George Potae saved my life.”

me I couldn’t stop myself from butting in and asking, “What did you do once you got outside?”

“Well,” he continued, “I had an idea where my father was, so I went and looked him up. When Dad heard my story he said, ‘Geez son, I think the best thing to do would be to get you out of the country.’ “SoDadbroughtusticketsonaflighttoAustraliaand

away we went. You didn’t need a passport to go to Aussie back then. Once there, although I was only fourteen, I looked for work and soon found a job as a circus hand. ThingswentalongfineuntilIlearnedthatthecircuswascoming to New Zealand. Not wanting to come back to New Zealand, I went to the boss and came clean about my being on the run and, as a consequence, did not want to come back here.“‘Don’tworry,’saidtheboss.‘You’renotthefirstfella

we’ve employed who has been on the run. When we get to New Zealand, any place you think you might be recognised, just keep your head down and stay out the back.’

“There were no problems until we got to Dunedin, where the police raided the circus. They were actually after two other circus hands but I got caught in the net. When the cop found out who I was he said, ‘Hullo, who have we got here then?

“‘You’re wanted for absconding from Lake Alice, I’m afraid I’m going to have to send you back there.’

“I pleaded with the cop and told him I would rather end my life than go back to Lake Alice. At last I had found a sympathetic cop. Seeing how distressed I was at the prospect of being sent back to Lake Alice, he said, ‘Look, I’ll see what I can do. There is a Mr George Potae who runs a contract shearing business down in Milton. He’s a JP and if he is prepared to take you under his wing I might be able to release you into his care.’

(To page 9)

The late George Potae, pictured at Masterton in 1997, renewing aquaintance with his winning stand from 1969.

HART SHEARINGBlenheim

For competitive rates and fast, efficient service

Ring Ken or Pip Hart

03 577 6224 or Ken on

0274 390 304

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NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association Inc

New members welcome. Join now!

Keep abreast with the new rates and changes in legislation.National President: Barry Pullin. Tel 03 347 8970. Email: shearing@xtra.co.nz

National Secretary: Cheryl Christie, PO Box 11, Ashhurst.Tel 027 263 7634: Fax 06 326 8041E-mail contactus@nzshearing.co.nz

“You mean to say the bastards got away with it? I’ll bet you felt all your efforts to prove yourself had been in vain, how did you cope with that?”

“Yeah, I was pretty shattered all right,” he agreed, “but I still had my trades, they couldn’t take those away from me, so I got a job with a trucking company where I could put both my trades to good use. I stayed with them for a few years, then I saw an opening in the household removal business, so I brought a second-hand truck and got into that. I gradually built up my busi-nessuntil Ihadthreetrucksandfiveguys working for me.

“We were carting nation-wide for a while, but we couldn’t compete with the big trucking companies when it came to crossing the strait, so these days we restrict ourselves to the top half of the North Island. I can’t com-plain really, I’ve got my own busi-ness, a lovely wife and four beautiful kids, none of which I would have had if it weren’t for George Potae taking me in. He saved my life alright.”

By now I was in tears, so moved that if it weren’t something Kiwi blokes shouldn’t do, I’d have given him a hug.

“Buddy,” I choked, “your story is the most inspirational that I have ever heard. You really need to be out there telling it to the troubled youth of today who are maybe behind the eight-ball, that they don’t need to stay there.”

(Tony Mathews is a freelance writer and former shearer and contractor from Marlborough.)

“He rang George and told him my story, so George drove up to Dunedin to see me. We talked for a while and found we both had some whanau connections going back to Kennedy Bay, and happily George agreed to take me on and become my legal guardian until I reached my eighteenth birthday. Only George, his brother Mac and myself ever knew that fact.

“On the way down to Milton George said, “I won’t send you out in the sheds straight away, you can stay round the Ranch and help the cook, do the gardens lawns and hedges, that sort of thing until you settle in and get to know the other boys.’

“So that’s what I did. I also helped to pull down an old building, and after a while I started in the sheds, graduat-ing upwards to the press, and even got to do some shearing.

“When I reached my eighteenth birthday George called me into his of-ficeandsaid, ‘You’rea freeman to-day. I’ll be more than happy to keep you on, but if you want to go your own way I’ll under stand.’

“I thanked George for all he had done for me and said, ‘If it’s all the same to you George, I think I’ll strike out on my own,’ so George paid me up and I left.”

Once again I could not refrain from asking, “What did you do then?” Looking a bit sheepish he replied, “I went out and hunted down every last person that had treated me badly when I was a kid and beat the crap out of them.”

“That make you feel better?” I asked.

“Perhaps not from where I’m sit-ting now, but at the time it probably did. It got to the stage that if one of these people saw me coming on the street they quickly found an urgent reason to be on the other side. I was angry, angry at them, and especially angry at the Government for failing to protect and take proper care of me, I was determined to sue the powers that be and make them pay.”

“Wow, that’s taking on the champ,” I said. “That’s what I thought,” he concurred. “I thought, they’ll never take me, a presser in a shearing gang seriously, what I need are credentials that can prove I’m not a mental case. I happened to be in Taihape, and with this in mind I approached Ward Mo-tors to see if they would take me on as an apprentice motor mechanic. “Thistheydid,andfiveyearslater,

armed with my qualifications, I feltready to take the Government to court, but again I had second thoughts. ‘May-be this qualification is not enough,maybe I need further proof of my san-ity,’ so I went up to Auckland and got another apprenticeship, this time in light engineering.Anotherfiveyearslater with a ticket in that trade as well, Ifinally feltconfidentenough tosuethe Government.”

“Did you get your day in court?” I asked.

“Yes I did,” he replied, “but it didn’t do me much good. The magis-trate heard me out and said, ‘You’ve done alright in life, you don’t need any compensation.’

Almost in tears by this time I said,

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WOODLANDSTAVERN

Call in and ‘shear’ a cool drink.Hosts: Gus and Pauline Dermody. Tel 03 231 3120

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Utiku Shearing 2007 LtdTaihape

Our aim is quality in all areas of shearing and wool preparation

Positions available for experienced and reliable staff

Shearers/Woolhandlers/PressersTop rates, accomm, meals, transport

Phone Rei 06 388 1009 or 0272 309 855

• On farm shearing plant servicing - all makes and models• Comprehensive range of spare parts• Woolpress servicing, TPW & Vanguard• Handpiece repairs• Sales of second hand gear

Neil Gribben“From the Waikato to Manawatu”

Tel 0274 954 467

Shearing sheds are noisy!By Peter Taylor and Barry PullinEveryone seems to have an opinion about noise levels in woolsheds. “It’s too loud!” - ‘No it’s not, it’s just the radio!’ “It’s the elbow.” ‘It’s the cogs.’ “No - it’s the handpiece.”

We have heard it all before. This confusion and genuine concern for everyone’s welfare has led to the New Zealand Shearing Industry Health & Safety Committee and the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) initiating a woolshed noise project.

What are the actual sources of the noise, how loud is it really and, con-sidering the amount of time that peo-ple spend in woolsheds, is it safe? Can we protect ourselves from this noise or do we work out a way to reduce it?Weneededtofindouthowserious

the noise actually is, rather that basing it on guess work. The New Zealand Shearing Industry Health & Safety Committee discussed these concerns with Dr John Wallaart from ACC and this resulted in an extensive woolshed noise testing project led by Dr David McBride from Otago University. The NZ Shearing Industry Health & Safety Committee congratulates ACC on its collaborative approach with industry.

Everyone involved in shearing has a part to play: the farmer who provides the workplace, the shearing machines and wool presses; the designers of the

shearing equipment; the shearing con-tractors and the people working in the shed.

The ideal woolshed would oper-ate at no more than 85 decibels (dB) and ideally, less than that. This would make it a safer place to work. To achieve this would require best prac-tice in shed design and construction; good machinery maintenance; good workplace safety practices and the use of a well-positioned radio with volume restrictions. The H&SE Act states that themodificationsmustbepracticable, in other words feasible

from a social, environmental and eco-nomic viewpoint.

Do we need personal protective equipment (PPE’s) like ear plugs? If so, what type? Can the workplace and the equipment be upgraded to lower the noise level?

The answers will lie in the outcome of the work funded by ACC and un-dertaken by Dr David McBride of Otago University. (See page 12)(Peter Taylor is chairman of the NZ Shearing Industry Health & Safety Com-mittee. Barry Pullin is president of the NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association.)

Is it harmful to your hearing, being this close to the handpiece all day?(Mere and Joe - did you hear the question!)

Shearing 12

Shearing is an industry that has a long history in New Zealand and re-mains an important part of the rural landscape. This is in spite of declin-ing sheep numbers in recent years. Similarly, the numbers of shearing contractors has reduced and they are tending to form into larger organisa-tions. Although the numbers have declined, the need for shearing and shearers remains an essential part of the New Zealand rural scene.

There is a growing concern that noise exposure is contributing to an increas-ing numbers of shearers becoming affected with Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). In the past few years, claim numbers to ACC have increased substantially (see graph below) and are

showing a gradual increase, in spite of the numbers of people in the industry decreasing. This phenomenon is not unique to this industry, there has been asignificant increase in thenumbersof people claiming for NIHL from other industries.

The effects of noise damage are best described by the four “P’s”: Painless, Progressive, Permanent and Prevent-able. If noise hurts, it will damage ears very quickly, but lesser amounts of noise makes the loss progress very slowly, until it is permanent. At that stage,itisdifficulttounderstandpeo-ple who speak quietly, and also when people speak normally in a noisy background. Then it is too late. Hear-ing aids do not bring back normal hearing, they just amplify what is left. Like dentures, you are better off with your own teeth! People affected by

Shearing industry’s ‘silent pandemic’

Shearing Services in New Zealand 2003-2008

05

101520253035

1 2 3 4 5

Year 2003-2008

Num

ber o

f ent

itlem

ent

clai

ms

Shearing Services

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) claims to ACC past five years from NZ shearing industry

NIHL often withdraw from their fam-ily and society and the effects of this can contribute to depression. It is difficult to convince young

people of the future effect of current excessive noise. The sources of noise, to which we are all exposed, are tend-ing to increase, such as advertising, workplace as well as recreational ac-tivities. There is mounting evidence internationally that younger people are becoming increasingly affected.

In spite of this, the precautions that can be taken are well known and it is a relatively simple occupational dis-ease to reduce and avoid with current knowledge.Thefirstoptionsalwaysinvolvethe

equipment itself, such as keeping the

cogs well maintained and reducing the metal to metal contact. The wear-ing of ear plugs or other noise reduc-tion devices can be uncomfortable, particularly for long periods of time, but there are many different types of equipment now available which may help. Because of the increasing con-cerns related to NIHL, new equipment is now becoming available such as those that allow the actual reduction from a hearing protector to be deter-mined on an individual basis. Other types of equipment allow the source of thenoise tobeaccuratelydefinedand the frequency, so that a suitable barrier can be placed between the emitted noise and the shearer/wool handler.

Dr John Wallaart from ACC who instigated this project, in conjunction with the industry committee, engaged

Dr David McBride from the Depart-ment of Preventative and Social Med-icine at Otago University to conduct this long overdue research. Results from extensive testing in commercial woolsheds showed that shearers are typically exposed to sound levels av-eraging 90dB, wool handlers at 87dB and pressers 89dB. The recommended exposure limit over an eight-hour day is 85dB. Beyond 85dB each 3dB in-crease doubles the sound energy, so shearers are getting three times “too much” noise. The work may also last more than eight hours, so there will be asignificantriskofpermanenthearingdamage in a typical wool shed in New Zealand. These levels were recorded using personal dosimetry devices, so thefiguresrepresentthetruelevelstowhich peoples’ ears are exposed.

This project is nearing completion within the shearing sector but will continue in the wider agriculture in-dustries. Shearing industry findingswill be published in detail upon com-pletion of this project.

Farmers are also frequently exposed to excessive noise as part of their work. At the National Fieldays in June 2006, over 57% of farmers who participated in a screening for NIHL exhibited sig-nificanthearinglossandthisissimi-lar to international evidence.

At present, the inclusion of a teach-ing and awareness model for NIHL related to shearers and wool handlers is being considered for the ShearSafe programme. (To page 13)

Suffering from excessive noise in the sheds? Bill Michelle reckons he just

might have the answer!

Shearing 13

BRUCE ROGERSSHEARING CONTRACTOR

SOUTH CANTERBURY

• Quality and service guaranteed• Goodaccommodationandconditions• Jobsavailableyear-roundforgood shearers and shedhands• MemberNZShearingContractors’ Assn

Tel 03 693 8087

Rob Parkinson Shearing LtdKihikihi, Waikato

Shearers and shedhands wanted for main shear through to end January, and then second-shear. Permanent positions available for people with good work ethic

Clean accommodation and great food availableTravel to and from work provided

Phone Rob: 07 871 6364 or mob 027 440 1084

Homage to a hatIt is far from ornamental, but it served for many years

From the border to the Gulf-land, keeping sunburn from my earsYou’llfinditonthelongandlean,andontheshortandfat

For there’s nothing much more useful than a bushman’s old felt hat.

He can use it for a blinder when he’s saddling up a pradThat regards him with suspicion with a rolling eye and bad

And once aboard the bucker while the mob howls from the railsThe old hat does its duty as a painless kindofflail.

When the sheep have got him speechless on a hot and dusty dayHe can always grab the old grey felt and punch his rage away

On having wasted time and words upon a footsore pupHecanfallbackontheflogginghattoforcethebuggersup.

It becomes a useful holder when the quart pot tea is madeAn eyeshade or a headrest when he’s spelling in the shade

He may use it as a bellows when the wood is slow and dampOr in a frantic effort when the grass burns ´round the camp.

It blocks the bunny in the log or carries home the eggsHis missus commandeers it as a holder for the pegs

It serves the dog with water from the bag when on the trackIt’s as useful on their heads, in fact, to those that live outback.

Upon a nail inside my door, my spurs are underneathHangs the grey and shapeless emblem to which I now bequeath

These lines in token of the days when I discovered thatThere’s a touch of the sublime about the bushman’s old felt hat.

(Author unknown)

(From page 12)The traditional approach to reduce

noise exposure is by using hearing protective devices. Recent research internationally has shown that this may have limited effect for a variety of reasons. Increasing emphasis is be-ing placed on reducing the noise at the source. Currently, a great deal of work is happening around New Zealand to seek solutions to the noise emitted from various sources. In the shearing industry, quieter shearing equipment may be an option, research is in the planning stage.

Always consider means to reduce the noise in the workplace. For ex-ample, replace or maintain existing equipment; down-tube, cogs etc and place a good quality radio in a posi-tion where everyone can hear an even sound, at a reasonable volume.

Results from tests done at the Gold-en Shears competition in Masterton earlier in the year will also be used to detect the effects of woolshed noise on individuals and indicate how much deafness has been caused.

A little thought about noise expo-sure during long shearing days may pay huge dividends. Annual hear-ing tests can detect early NIHL and are carried out by audiologists, to be found in the telephone book in every major centre. Free DVD, posters and other material are available from any branch of theACC office or byrequesting copies from the website www.acc.co.nz/publications/index.htm?ssUserText=noise.

Golden Shear Open Final 1978“Adrian [Cox] remembers discussing tactics with Peter Lyon in 1978, as they prepared to do battle. If they were falling behind after ten sheep they were going to leave the socks on a few andsacrificesomequalitypointsinanendeavour to catch up. But Adrian wasn’t behind - he was leading. And the inexperience - his first 20-sheepfinal - caught upwithhim.Thepre-race plan to change a cutter after seven

was abandoned, in a bid to hold that precious lead. The quality dropped a little until he did make the change. In the end he lost by a mere 0.18 of a point,thoughhedidmanagetobefirstoff. It wasn’t all bad news for Adrian Cox that evening, however. He won the prestigious ‘Caltex’ prior to the Open. It would be eleven years before the South again saw two shearers in a GoldenShearsopenfinal.”(Last Side to Glory, 1991)

“I averaged $107 for my lambs this year - I just wish this bloody depression had turned up years ago!” (Anonymous Taihape farmer - has shorn a few sheep in his time, too!)

Shearing 14

POVERTY BAY SHEARING LTD

Makaraka, Gisborne

Top quality shearers and shedhands

wanted. Plenty of work from November thru

to March.

Phone Phill or Tup

now on 06 867 1125

MAHONY SHEARINGPO BOX 3381, NAPIER

TEL 06 835 9571

Permanent positions for quality shearers and shedhands

Member of the NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association

Tribute to Gina

Tuatapere School Centennial

15/16/17 January 2010

Celebrating 100 years of schooling at Tuatapere, Te Waewae, Te Tua, Happy Valley, Papatotara and

Rowallan.

Further information from Margaret Thomas

Tel 03 226 6104 or 03 226 6285Email: margaret@tcc.school.nz

By Jills Angus BurneyI first met Gina inAlexandra in theearly 1980s while working for Fred Wybrow at Clyde, Central Otago. She was distinctive by her hair piled high on her head and the longest arms in the game. Her formidable sweep on a raised board was with the accu-racyoftheflickingtailofathorough-bred. Annual visits to Alexandra for the New Zealand merino champion-ships included watching Gina among the classiest woolhandlers on offer.Irecallwithclaritythatthefirsttime

I became aware of Gina in a more per-sonal sense was in the early 1990s. I’d recently come out as a gay woman. It wasn’t the safest thing to do in the shearing sheds twenty years ago. All the more reason why my observations of Gina interacting with some bullish red-neck shearers was an enlightening experience that gave me deep respect for her courage.

We were in the middle pub in Al-exandra in the winter of 1991 when I saw the ultimate industry respect for Gina. Three non-local shearers were cornering her over their beers. They were taunting her for being different. It was ugly and unkind behaviour. Immensely private, Gina had never made an excuse for being born a boy and living her life as a woman. I’ll never forget that in a flash a

group of local shearers ably stood up to those guys, saying, “if you want to take her on, you’ll take us on”. The

clear message was that Gina had earned their utmost respect and ac-ceptance; her work spoke for her. She was one of them; local. What was clear is that none of the locals would let her stand alone or be vulnerable.

Canadian-based playwright and former Feilding shearer David Geary immortalises the contribution of a cross-dressing woolhandler in his play called The Shearer’s Stand. I was fortunate to see a production of this in Auckland in the mid 1990s. On that nightGeorginaBeyertheworld’sfirsttransvestiteMP played the flamboy-ant woolhandler character in the play. It was a class act; one that epitomized

Gina Nathan. A woman who was strong and yet vulnerable, always dif-ferent, and allowing her work to speak for itself.

Typical of many South Island shear-ing icons, Gina left behind her Nathan and Matehaire whanau in Hawke’s Bay many years before settling in Al-exandra, Central Otago. It was there from 1994 that Gina lived with Ro-byne Murray and her two children, Josh and Denise and six whangai adopted siblings. Gina embraced her role as a parent amid the tensions of long days in the sheds. More recently she had embraced life as a grandpar-ent to both Josh’s and Holly’s daugh-ters. Robyne and Gina set a milestone as a couple representing the 2008 South Island team as woolhandlers at the New Zealand Shearing champion-ships in Te Kuiti where Gina left as reigning woolhandling champion.

While Gina paved the way for the industry to respect and show tolerance of difference she did so with dignity. This was in turn paid her by the pres-ence in March 2009 at her tangi at Te Hauke Marae of past and present New Zealand representatives John Kirkpatrick, Joanne Kumeroa, Edsel Forde, his wool-classer wife Margaret and sons; Lisa Fagan, Ailsa and Tom Fleming and many others from North-land to Invercargill who competed against and celebrated Gina’s many achievements as documented in the April issue of Shearing.

The late Gina Nathan, winning at Alexandra in 1992

Shearing 15

Shear Gear Shearing Singlets

Fagan Shearing Jeans

Acto Agriculture NZ Ltd P O Box 72 398 Papakura 2244 Phone 09 266 2333 Fax 09 266 4333 e-mail: acto@ihug.co.nz

Purchase any packet of 5 combs from the Lister Birds of Prey

comb range and receive 1 packet of 10

Lister Claw cutters FREE

Offer excludes Countryman combs & is while stocks last

Designed & manufactured in NZ specifically for shearing , our NEW cotton / polyester blend

singlet features low arm holes & long fit body, available in Red,

Royal or Navy Blue in sizes Medium, Large, XL & 2XL

Manufactured in NZ specifically for shearing, Fagan jeans are a

proven high quality, tough wearing design. Available in a large range of sizes in 3 styles; Supajeans (with ankle zips), ShearBlack & ShearBlue

(both with ankle splits)

Check out our full range of shearing machines; shearers clothing, footwear & accessories; woolshed supplies plus much, much more

www.acto.co.nz

Lister Cobra Handpiece Lister Mamba Handpiece Lister Python Handpiece The traditional oil-bath lubricated

handpiece. Designed for long lasting durability and easy maintenance. Refined lightweight body shape

provides comfort over long durations.

Triple bearing for extra smoothness, maximum speed and cool running. Lightweight and well balanced, with unique moulded-in grip pattern for maximum grip & ultimate control.

Dual bearing option for smoothness and cool-running. All round comfort, speed and durability. Low profile fork

and prongs reduce drag for faster shearing. Balanced crank head.

Shearing 16

Northern legend passes on

SouthlandAvailable for shearing,

crutching and lamb crutching

Shearers and woolhandlers required. Great working en-vironment, excellent accom-

modation

Phone Bill or Sharon03 203 7052 or 027 628 3830

A Shearer’s HeavenAll shearers when they die

So I hear tellGo straight to Heaven

Never to Hell, Cause any shearer

of any worthHas done his share

of hell on Earth.

So Lord I knowThat when I die,

I’ll go straight to the Big Shed in the sky.

Where the sheepAreflierseveryoneAnd it seldom rainsJust nice warm sun.

The rouseabouts are angelsWith a twinkle in their eye

There’s a pub next doorA racetrack close nearby.

And best of all LordThough I’m not one to shirkWe sit and watch the cockies

Do the bloody work!© Allan R Warnock

By Des WilliamsNorthland shearing legend Henry Cross died at Dargaville last month after a lengthy illness, aged 70. Henry had lived and worked in Australia for much of his adult life, shearing mainly in the eastern states from Queensland down to Victoria.

Jack Dowd recalls meeting Henry in 1967, when he (Jack) first wentnorth to work around Dargaville for shearing contractor, Ian Stanaway. The Cross family owned a farm at Clear Ridge, between Dargaville and Whangarei, and that could have been Henry’s calling, had he so desired.

“But Henry, being the hard man that he was, would rather be shearing than working on the farm and I think he gradually drifted away from the farm in favour of shearing full time. He was one of the top shearers in the North when I went up there, both in the sheds and at the shows. In the shows when the time penalty was at 10 seconds a point he was hard to beat because the faster you could shear the more shows you won.“Ourfirstmeetingwasaroundabout

the time that the old ‘six o’clock swill’ was abolished in hotels [October 1967] and Henry decided that we had to try this new ‘ten o’clock closing’ that came into law in its place. I was about 20 at the time and Henry was eight years older than me, so we tried this 10 o’clock closing – for about a week! I remember the manager of the Block where we were shearing came to find us on the Sunday morning.

There were people asleep in their cars and all sorts of places and Mr Manager wasn’t impressed so we got the sack – hefiredusonthespot!Thenbyabout9.30am and after a phone call to the contractor we were reinstated, and we worked through late that night to finish the shed.Thatwas one ofmyfirstgreatmemoriesofHenry.

“There was another time when I was leasing a block of land, up a no-exit road. This car came along and it was Henry and another bloke and they asked if they could put their car in my garage for a while. No explanation, but I said that was okay so we put it in and shut the door. A while later the toheroa inspector came up the road and asked me if I’d seen a car. ‘No, no, I haven’t seen any cars!’ The car stayed in the shed most of the day and we had a few beers and Henry and his mate drifted off later that afternoon!

“Henry is probably best described as a typical old-time shearer – he worked hard, enjoyed his beer and liked to gamble but such a generous person, he would give you his last dollar.Hewasneverafighterhimselfbut he worked with people who liked to scrap. ‘Try and stay out of trouble’ he would say to his mates when they arrived at a pub for a few beers but usually within 10 minutes some sort of trouble would be brewing!

“Henry had great sense of humour and was always having people on. I remember once around election time the politicians were making all sorts of promises, so I decided to have Henry on myself. I told him shearers were going to be paid three cents for every sheep they had shorn, according to their tallies. Henry swallowed the bait but I had to tell him he wouldn’t qualify for payment because he had never kept a record of his tallies. ‘I’ll bloody soon write out some tallies,’ he reckoned, and he was starting to do some sums. In the end I had to tell him it was all just a joke. The conman had been conned himself, for a change!”

Northland’s Henry Cross, who died recently after a period of illness.

Robertson Shearing LtdLawrence

Wanted: Honest, reliable staff. Good accommodation and

meals provided.

Phone Mouse on 03 485 9127

Shearing 17

Sadly, some of these faces will be missing from the Golden Shears 50th jubilee to be celebrated at Masterton in March 2010. This photo, from the 1997 reunion of Golden Shear champions, captured all but Marton Ngataki, Norm Blackwell and Ivan Bowen of the then 18 men who had won the Open championship since 1961. (Ivan Bowen was there, but he missed the photo-shoot!) Back left: John Fagan, Colin King, Paul Grainger, David Fagan. Middle: Murray McSkim-ming (NZ Fine wool champion 1960s), Roger Cox, Tom Brough, Alan Donaldson, Edsel Forde, Ivan Rosandich. Front: Brian Waterson, Brian Quinn, Bing Macdonald, Stewart Symon, Eddie Reidy and George Potae. (Macdonald, Symon, Potae and Bowen have all passed on in recent years.)

Golden Shears 50th Championship and Celebration3, 4, 5, 6 March 2010

Events and celebrations planned extra to our normal programmeVeteran classes for shearing and woolhandling•Blade shearing competition•50th anniversary dinner - Thursday evening (for all people associated with Golden Shears over •the past 50 years)50th anniversary book - orders will be taken at the “Shears”•Socal gathering at Te Parae for all past Miss Golden Shears participants, committee members, •sponsors and judges

Early bookings are essential to ensure you do not miss the opportunity to celebrate with us.Contact: OfficeSolutions Ph (06) 378 8008 : Fax (06) 378 8009 Emailofficesolutions@xtra.co.nz www.goldenshears.co.nz

Shearing 18

By Des WilliamsKerry Brannigan sampled a few occupations as a youngster while trying to work out what he might get into by way of a more permanent career. The early 1980s were times when jobs were plentiful and he gained some experience as a car salesman, freezing worker and bridge builder (with a bridge construction company), among other things.Itwasactuallyhisfatherwhofirstsuggestedtheideato

Kerry that he try shearing. As a works manager at Hastings and, later, at Oringi (Dannevirke), Mr Brannigan himself had some experience in working with sheep, if not actually shearing them.

“So he then got me organised to go to a shearing school for two weeks and after that I managed to get a stand with Ian Clapperton, a local contractor, and my career in the shearing industry started from there, pretty much like most youngsters entering the industry.”

But it was very much seasonal work back then, in the Hawke’s Bay at least, and Kerry got into the routine of shearing for three or four months over the summer, and working as a fencer for the remainder of the year. There was very little second-shear done in those days to extend the season beyond main shear.

“When I came out of shearing school I was able to do 100 a day – that was about the end of November, and by ChristmastimeIhaddonemyfirst200.”

By 1985 however, the guts had fallen out of farming, as Kerry puts it, mainly through the removal of farm subsidies and other “market-driven” initiatives introduced by the Labour Government that had swept Rob Muldoon and Co

Kerry Brannigan - do things right!

out of the Beehive a few months earlier. In that economic climate, Kerry and Rob decided they would move to Western Australia, not sure if or when they might return to New Zealand.

“There certainly seemed to be no future here at that time, with interest rates climbing well above 20% and the farming economy really struggling to come to terms with radical Government-led changes and policies.”

From Western Australia, the Brannigans added the United States to their list of places to go and see. Kerry found work with Utah-based contractor, Bill Gonzales, “in a little one-horse town” south of Provo, from where they shore sheep in Colorado, Nevada and Idaho, as well as the home state of Utah.“I had a reallygood runwithBill thatfirst season, he

paid us every week and we didn’t have any work issues or problems whatsoever, except that we got snowed in several times during the season.

“We made our way back to New Zealand and found that it was still pretty much shut, so we headed back to Western Australia for what turned out to be another three years, and also went back to the States for another season with Gonzales, by then being run by Bill’s son, ‘Young Bill’”. Thattripwasevenbetterthanthefirst,withbetterweather

(no snow) meaning they had an almost uninterrupted run of work. One of the highlights (for want of a better word) came on a journey between Utah and Nevada in the big Buick Electra that the Brannigans had bought for their transport that season.

“It was doing all of eight miles to the gallon when we were towing a caravan and we ran out of gas in the middle of the night and seemingly in the middle of no-where,” Kerry recalls. “I thought I was going to have to leave Rob in the car and thumb a ride or walk – we could just see the lights of Ely in the far-off distance.

(To page 19)

* * * Job Vacancy * * * Wool Preparation and Support OverseerThis is a salaried position. We are a progressive Shearing company looking for a highly qualified senior woolhandler. The job would entail on the job grading of wool handling staff, overseeing wool clip preparation, on the job tutoring, actively continuing our health and safety programme, liaising with staff, management and clients, staff induction. A vehicle is provided and we would be happy to assist if relocating. Further training for higher qualificationwillbeimplementedasrequired.

Applicants need;• Acandoattitudethatwillputthebestinterestofthe companyfirst.• Initiativeandhonesty• Leadershipskills• Toknowhowtoorganiseandrunashed• Somecomputerskills• Anactivefulldriverslicence

For a year round position in Sunny Hawke’s Bay send your CV or application with references and work history to:

Wool Preparation and Support Overseer Brannigan Eastern Shearing Limited 906 Heretaunga Street East, Hastings.

Kerry Brannigan - adaptability the key to business.

Shearing 19

SOUTHLAND

DARYN & CHARMAINE MURRAY

Integrity Shearing giving you the respect you deserve

PO BOX 16, OHAITEL 03 225 4605FAX 03 225 4020Email: integrity.shr@xtra.co.nz

Freephone 0800 124605

(From page 18)“She wasn’t too keen on that idea I might say, and the

wolves were howling out on the prairie. Anyway, I set off to walk but I hadn’t gone very far when Young Bill came along and picked me up.

“I don’t think he was out looking for us or anything but was on his own way home, so that solved that problem. He told us then that most people carried a spare tank of gas in the car with them because gas stations were few and far between on some of those isolated highways. Good advice, Young Bill, if a little late!

“But that second season in the States was really good, I worked just about every day, lost a lot of weight and made a lot of money,” Kerry recalls.

In 1987 Kerry and Rob returned to Hastings to stay and Kerry took over Ian Clapperton’s run. “Buying the run basically meant buying the van and it’s probably fair to saythatfirstseasonasacontractorturnedouttobeabitofa nightmare. Some staff gave me the run-around but things were much better in the second season as I got people working for me that I knew – the likes of Dave Collier and Alan Jones that I either knew from school or from rugby or some other connection.

“We had three crews that second year and the only problem was the CF Bedford vans that I had – they were bloody useless things and I was fortunate to have a mechanic friend out at Fernhill who could rebuild an engine in 24 hours if something went wrong – as it often did! Then Toyota vans came on the market and things changed dramatically for the better.”

Kerry reckoned, as the business was developing, that he

would have to give up shearing himself when he had four crews to manage. It didn’t quite work out that way however – he remembers one wet season when there were seven crews on the go and he was still on the end of a handpiece. “We even had a shed booked to do on Christmas Day, but it rained anyway so that didn’t get done either!”

By 1995 however, Kerry had taken himself off the board. “Things were really changing around here about that time. Second shear was really in and so was winter shearing. Neil Chambers from Havelock started doing some winter shearing and we were using cover combs and that was really quite revolutionary.

“Early cover combs were just like the old Aussie narrow gear to start with but we pulled them wider and really were doing a lot of winter shearing, especially of trading stock. August used to be very quiet and suddenly became a very busy month for us and we now usually have at least four crews going at that time of year.”

These days, Kerry leaves the day to day running of the business to his manager, Colin Watson-Paul. Their association goes back 20 years or more to the time when Colin arrived home from Australia and turned up for work at Wedd’s shed, Patoka, with the idea of doing a big tally on lambs.“Thatwasfinebymebutwhatactuallyhappenedwasthat,

the faster Colin went, the faster I went and we hammered away at each other all day and both ended up doing our best ever tallies on lambs! Colin has pretty much been with me ever since and I have been able to step away from too much direct involvement in the business.”

That’s not to say Kerry is sitting back in the sun all day. What started out as a summer job picking apples many years ago has developed to the point where he now owns 250 acres of orchard, all producing organically-grown apples.

“When the Wool Board pulled its subsidies about 1992 or thereabouts we suddenly had no second shear, so I went pickingapplesinstead.Myfirstventureintothatbusinesswas with a mate and we leased an orchard. Then I bought a bare-land block and gradually developed that into an apple orchard, thanks to the shearing business, which has enabled me to carry out further expansion over time.

“Shearing has been good to me but you have to keep working hard at it, just like any other business. I have seen businesses disappear because people sit there thinking that it’s always going to be there. But things change, and sometimes quickly, and you have to be prepared to adapt accordingly.

“My take on it is that your business should be set up with an infrastructure so that anyone could come in and take it over and continue to operate as a viable business. What we try to do here is do things right by the industry, do things right by our staff, pay them what they are worth and provide good conditions of employment.

“We battle away in bad economic times but we feed them, pay their ACC and provide comfortable vans for travelling to and from work. Where else can you get picked up at your door, taken to work, fed during the day and dropped off home at night, but in the shearing industry? Sure, sheep numbers are dropping but there are real opportunities out there for young people that want to work hard, save their money and see the world.”

Shearing 20

Congratulations to our National Certificate Recipients

Why train with Tectra?

Tectra, New Zealand’s largest wool harvesting trainer, holds the contract with Agriculture ITO to deliver shearing and wool handling training nationally and has over thirty years experience in delivering training programmes. We are committed to providing world-class training to shearers, wool handlers, classers and pressers.To find out more about the course schedule in your area contact your local Regional Training Manager or call us free on 0800 350 035 or visit our website www.tectra.co.nz.

Our Regional Training ManagersDavid Long (Palmerston North) looks after all Wool Handling and Modern Apprentices in the North Island. Call David on (06) 357 1321 or (027) 490 0749.

Kerri Capill (Christchurch) looks after all Wool Handling and Modern Apprentices in Nelson, Marlborough, North and Mid Canterbury and Canterbury and West Coast regions. Call Kerri on (03) 353 9297 or (027) 441 3335.

Robyne Murray looks after all Wool Handling and Modern Apprentices for South Canterbury, all of Otago and South-land. Call Robyne on (03) 448 7901 or (027) 581 8144.

North Island:Dean Te Huia (Te Kuiti) looks after Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Call Dean on 07 878 7666 or 027 495 0601.

Bill Hale (Takapau) looks after the North Island’s East Coast and the Hawke’s Bay regions. Call Bill on 06 06 855 8470 or 027 492 8979.

Russell Knight (Palmerston North) looks after Taranaki, Wanganui, the Manawatu and Wairarapa regions. Call Rus-sell on 06 328 4774 or 027 230 6659.

South Island:Tom Wilson (Darfield) looks after Nelson, Marlborough, North Canterbury, Canterbury and the Mid Canterbury re-gions. Call Tom on (03) 317 9090 or (027) 591 7759.

Eric Solomon (Timaru) looks after the South Canterbury, Central Otago, and North Otago regions. Call Eric on (03) 615 5953 or (027) 292 4767

Chas Tohiariki (Invercargill) looks after Otago and South-land. Call Chas on (03) 235 2787 or (027) 246 5538.

National Certificate in Wool Handling Level 2

Leonie Albert, Jackie Aranui, Rochelle Ashford, Prunella Ataria, Clare Bamfield, Thomas Borell, Callan Chase, Malcolm Chase, Izzy Clark, Cannon Crawford, Johny Crawford, Zion Everton, Kay Garland, Johnathan Guthrie, Hinewai Holmes, Cody Kani, David Lowe, Sam MacDonald, Joe Mahia, Tane Mann, William Marshall, Aimee McGregor, Christopher Morris, Peter Nelson, Samuel Nolan, Te Atawhai Nunn, Julie Paton, Gavin Rimene, Liana Rix, Elizabeth Salmon, Piki Samuels, James Samuels-Tipiwai, Gordon Scott, Marata Searancke, Thomas

Spence, Catherine Sweetman, Hine Thompson, Rose Thompson, Hirini Tipene, Jamie Tozer, Jacqueline Wainohu, Shae Wheki, Jessica Williams.

National Certificate in Wool Handling Level 3

Tracey Deed, Te Waimoko Edmonds, Jace Johnston, Josselle Kirikino, Alissa Larsen, April Longstaff, Martha Marshall, Sandra Mason, Katrise McDonald, Sian McLeod, Josephine Morunga, Ranee Norton, Sonia Pablecheque, Charlene Pene, Amy-Lee Ruki, Leela Thompson, Jamie-Lee Walker, Victoria Welsh, George Wilson, Rangimarie Wilson.

National Certificate in Wool Pressing Level 3

Cannon Crawford, Johny Craw-ford, Rahera Kerr, Peter Nelson, James Samuels-Tipiwai.

National Certificate in Shearing Level 2

Joseph Clair, Tamihana Cook, Justin Cribb, Owen Dodd, Tyler Forbes, Christopher Gullidge, Bryce Guy, Kelly Jones, Keita Kawazu, Joe Mahia, Leah Maketoni, Duane Murphy, Hayden Rider, Codie Smith-McNoe, Thomas Spence, Paul Webster, Gregory White.

Partners in Wool Harvesting Training

Shearing 21

TECTRA LIMITED : CERTIFICATE IN WOOL TECHNOLOGYThe Certificate in Wool Technology is an extramural tertiary-level course for people interested in the production, harvesting and preparation of wool. This two-year programme develops the knowledge and skills needed to supervise clip preparation in the shearing shed and to class wool in the shed or store.

Who should do the course?: Anyone wanting to understand wool and the wool industry in New Zealand will find the Certificate in Wool Technology extremely valuable. Students come from a wide array of backgrounds - leading wool han-dlers, farmers, wool brokers and people working in the wool marketing and processing industries have completed this internationally recognized qualification.

How is the programme run?: The course is a two-year, part time programme consisting of papers taught extramurally through study guides and assignments. Practical block courses are held in both the North and South Islands and those students who select to do the Wool Classing module undertake considerable in-shed practical work. On successful comple-tion of the certificate you will be offered automatic entry into the NZ Wool Classers Association.

What’s new?: In response to industry demand, we have developed a Wool Classing Module that will allow leading wool handlers to focus their programme on wool classing. This has a strong practical component that involves trainees working alongside mentors in live-classing situations. This allows you to learn the business alongside industry professionals.

Aligned to equivalent Australian qualification: An added benefit for people graduating with the Wool Technology classing qualification is the opportunity to have your classing stencil endorsed in Australia. This requires a short bridging course to get you qualified to class wool in Australia.

Registration: Applications for enrolment are open now so don’t delay!

Funding: Ministry of Social Development student loans are available. Contact StudyLink on 0800 889 900 to discuss your entitlement. You may be entitled to a training incentive allowance from Work and Income New Zealand. Contact your Case Manager to discuss your entitlement.

To enrol, or for more information, contact: Laurie Boniface, Manager Industry Studies, Tectra Limited. Tel: (06) 350 2304 Mob: (027) 433 8925 : Email: laurie.boniface@tectra.co.nz

National Certificate in Shearing Level 3

Jason Ballantyne, Alan Boler, Jose Catala’n, Stacy Chandler, Kelly Christie, Andrew Duncan, Shane Hackett, Douglas Holmes, Adam Maw, Duane Murphy, James Ritchie, Christopher Russell, Giovanni Spadotto, Malcolm Stevenson, Apollo Taunoa, Stacey Te Huia, Nga-Waka West.

National Certificate in Fine wool Shearing Level 2Harvey Pairama, Wes Tohiariki

National Certificate in Fine Wool Shearing Level 3Bronson Tapatu.

Introduction to ShearingWillie Akers, Brian Anderson, Sean Anderson, Shannon Bailey, Leanne Bentley, Kenneth Birch, Michael Bokser, Wiremu Broad, Joshua Chrystal, Kalin Chrystal, Ross Diprose, Michael Ellis, Adam Faulks, Monita Fowell, Aidan Gemmell, Radford Gulliver, Joshua Hale, Harley Hauiti-Kiriwera, Corey Higgins, Rebecca Hodge, Shanon Jackson, Shyan Johnston, Kane Kapene, Mervyn Kururangi, Daniel Langlands, Iona Lee, Stacy Lewis, Thomas Lilley, Marc Littley, Lance Maaka, Rapata Manuel, Tom Marsh, Rawiri Marshall, Allison Maru, Brent McGurk, Glenn McPherson, Tracey Metekingi, Julian Milner, Dylan Moon, Shawn

Moran, Troy Neilson, Kataraina Ngahooro, Para Nukunuku, Tama Paki, Allistair Parata, Saul Parata, Samuel Purvis, Fraser Quinlivan, Te Maurirere Raihania, Jotham Rentoul, Sam Roke, Hunaara Rudolph, Brendan Sanson, Keparangi Shirkey-Brown, George Smith, Josiah Smith, Guy Stoddart, Thomas Stoddart, Wade Stoddart, Ruby Stone, Ricky Tairakena, Joseph Taitapanui, Zoey Te Maipi, Syndi-Lee Terrey, William Thompson, Danielle Tozer, Vaughan Travis, Richard Turner, Mariano Vella, Caley Walker-Smith, Liam Warner, Morgan Weti, Tamati Williams, Hayden Wright.

Shearing 22

Take a break, mateBy Jills Angus BurneyThe new law on meal breaks high-lights that many businesses have meal breaks incorporated into their daily routine.Howeverinofficejobsmealbreaks are often flexible andmissedwhen the pressure of work increases.

The shearing industry has long as-sessed that workers need to recharge by resting, getting refreshments and attend-ing to personal needs. In a safety con-scious industry the set breaks dividing each work run ensure that employees are rested and less likely to make mis-takes; rested workers are safer and more productive.

With this in mind, entitle-ments for employee breaks came into force on 1 April 2009 by new amendments to the Employment Relations Act 2000. These introduce new minimum requirements and allow workers to have:

One paid 10-minute rest •break if their work period is between two and four hours;One paid 10-minute rest •break and one unpaid 30 minute break if their work period is between four and six hours;Two paid 10 minute rest breaks •and one unpaid 30 minute break if their work period is between six and eight hours.

If more than an eight-hour period is worked, these requirements extend to cover the additional hours on the same basis. Employers and workers can agree to the timing of breaks. If agreement cannot be reached then meal breaks must be evenly spread throughout the work period where reasonable and practical. Employers and workers are free to agree to ad-ditional entitlements to rest and meal breaks – either paid or unpaid.

While in some manufacturing sites and large industrial locations the thought of having two hours of breaks for an eight-hour day might be seen by some to produce spoilt workers. Many workers have terms and condi-tions that struggle to give them even two fifteen minute breaks. Howeverthe design of the shearing day is delib-erate. It is a result of the physicality of

the work by shearers and woolhandlers and an appreciation of the history of terms and conditions of this work.

1975 Committee of Inquiry into Shearing IndustryThe report of the New Zealand Par-liamentary Committee of Inquiry into the Shearing Industry in November 1976 is a good place to compare how we fare today with yester-year’s terms and conditions of work.

In early 1977 the Muldoon National government appointed then Minister

of Labour, JB Gordon to receive rep-resentations from interested parties on the methods and rates of payment and terms and conditions for shearers and shedhands and any other problems in-cluding provedoring of shearers.

Under the industrial legislation of the day, an award system existed that regulated all payments and rates and terms and conditions. The two main parties to the Shearing Award were the New Zealand Sheepowners’ Industri-

al Union of Employers and the New Zealand Workers’ Union. Other par-ties were the New Zealand Shearing Contractors, Federated Farmers and the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers (now Rural Women NZ).

The three-person Committee visited woolsheds to gain first hand knowl-edge of the standards existing. A cross section of sheds and accommodation was presented by a joint selection to ensure a fair cross section was visited.

The report in 1977 outlined the minimum standards for the industry;

just as the ACC sponsored Health and Safety shearing committee does today. The Shearers Act 1962 stated the duties of every employer to provide sufficient and suit-able accommodation. De-partment of Labour (DOL) inspectors were required to review all plans for new ac-commodation for approval. Astipulationonfiveormoreworkers was removed thus giving recognition to all workers of the same quality of accommodation.

The Committee recognised that shearers were entitled to a reasonable standard of accommodation and found somejustificationincomplaintsaboutinferior clothing storage, dilapidated mattresses, lack of heating, inadequate cooking facilities; and a general lack of maintenance. A recommendation was made that the Shearers Act 1962 and regulations be enforced by DOL, and that the need for shearer’s accom-modation to meet standards laid down be stressed to farmers through their own organisations. The Committee recommended an improvement in the inspection coverage with closer liai-son between the Workers’ Union and the DOL Inspectors where standards were unsatisfactory.

The relatively new development of centralized and cooperative shearers’ accommodation servicing one local-ity was encouraged. What we take for granted now as semi-permanent shearer’s quarters in any major rural town was, in the mid-1970s, a step up from a wide variation of rarely used, farm-based shearing quarters.

We have vacancies for professional shearers, shedhands and pressers to staff our Ashburton-based shearing run. We offer excellent accommodation, top pay rates and steady, year-round work with busy main-shear and pre-lamb runs.

Phone: Office 03 302 7541; Grant Smith 0272 413 010

or Norm Harraway 0272 413 023

Take a break mate, read the mag. (Sunny Kumeroa 1995)

Shearing 23

Courela Clothing5 Phillip Street Ph/Fax: 08 8626 1285STREAKY BAYSouth Australia 5680

Try our new black stretch shearing pants

If it’s used in the Shearing Industrythen chances are - we sell it.

Shop online at www.courela.com.au from end of April 2009

Painter turns writer (book review)By Jills Angus BurneyThe Ozone, a novel by Kevin Steven-son: Set in the late 1970s, the central character is Joe McDuff, a young man from Tokonui, Southland who wants tobeashearer.Havingworkedbrieflyin New Zealand sheds, he then heads to Australia to get a shearing stand and search for his father. Joefindsshearingmerinos inAus-

tralia a very different challenge from shearingcrossbreds.Hisfirststandisa disaster when his wrist gives out af-terthefirstday.Hisnextjobiscondi-tional on driving some shedhands to the shed. They turn out to be Mäori girls from New Zealand, to the con-sternation of the Aussie shearers.

Stevenson provides realistic and vivid descriptions of life in the shear-ing gang and the relationships that develop and just a quickly evaporate as the gang moves on. Joe is an at-tractive character. He proves to be as good a shearer with much help from the older men in the gang and the en-couragement of the girls.

The plot unfolds on several fronts. Willie is an older shearer who has made a great deal of money from shearing, but also from horse racing and property speculation. Willie be-comes Joe’s mentor and they develop a close rapport. Thebook’stitlereflectsthefictional

name of the shearer’s pub in Perth. At some stage all the characters pass through its doors and lean on the bar. The conversations that take place at the bar are in character with the shear-ers and are entertaining in themselves. Pub life plays a key role in Joe’s de-velopment and in the ultimately suc-cessful hunt for his father.

Kevin (Beaver) Stevenson is well qualified towriteaboutshearingandshearers having travelled many sea-sons on the world circuit and had his fair share of shearing tough merinos in Western Australia. The story and thedetailreflectmanyofourcontem-porary shearing experiences.

The book represents a further talent of the author, shearer and artist that

Stevenson is. The editing lets down the story at times; including the at-tempt to fictionalise Tokonui rugbylegend Gus Dermody, when his real names slips in as Joe’s first shear-ing contractor. And those of us who worked with Stevenson in the late 1970s for Feilding contractor Nolan Kraiger, will recognise with a smile Jess, the formidable cook from Ere-whon station, “a no-nonsense sort of chain-smoking lady whose cigarette stuck to her red lipstick and wobbled up and down as she spoke”. Thisisthefirstpieceoflocalshear-

ing industry fiction since Witi Ihi-maera’s story on East Coast shearing clans, Bulibasha: King of the Gypsies. However, given the Western Australian location for most of the book, it bears more resemblance to the 1980s Austral-ian movie classic on the 1956 shearer’s strike, Sunday Too Far Away.

(The Ozone is available from the author for $NZ30 plus postage. See advertisement page 29 for price and ordering information.)

Shearing 24

Golden Shears Golden Jubilee 2010

Ross and Marie Kelman welcome you to the best pub this side of the Black Stump. Great bar, restaurant, accom-modation and shearing company. Tel 03 438 9713

OMARAMAHOTEL

By Craig Cooper“The inaugural event was so successful, many locals said it was a ‘one hit wonder’ and that level of enthusiasm and support was not sustainable. Well, here we are gearing up to celebrate our 50th Golden Shears” – Laurie Keats, Patron Golden Shears.

Golden Shears is the world’s top shearing event. It started in 1961, but the idea developed from a shearing competition organized by the Wairarapa Young Farmers’ Club for the 1958 Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Show. It wasn’t New Zealand’s first shearing contest,as occasional local events had been held throughout the country, from at least the 1890s. They were often poorly organized and there was no consistency in the contest events or the judging standards.

The 1958 event organizers – Laurie Keats, Iain Douglas, Graham Buckley and others – were determined to improve on this situation. They also invited competitors from both islands, so creatingNewZealand’s first “national”shearing contest. Laurie and his fellow organizers saw possibilities for a future stand-alone competition in a larger venue, with recognized events and standards. Wairarapa Federated Farmers agreed to host the event, and it kicked off in 1961 as the “Golden Shears”. It was wildly popular –theArmywascalledintohelpcontrolcrowds.ThefirstGolden Shears included wool handling, with competitive wool pressing added to the programme in the 1990s. The event quickly became a magnet for shearers from all over the world. Golden Shears became a household name with seats and accommodation being booked a year in advance.

Synonymous with this was the fact that Masterton quickly became known world wide as ‘home of the Golden Shears’ Competition among shearers was and continues to be fierceanduncompromising.Manyofourgreatchampions– Ivan Bowen, Snow Quinn, Roger Cox, Martin Ngataki and David Fagan, to mention a few – engraved their names in the record books.

In the 1970s and 1980s, other shearing competitions for all-comers sprang up around New Zealand. Many continue to be vibrant events with competitors planning their competition calendars to include as many as possible. Major companies and businesses established relationships to promote and sponsor the new physical and unorthodox sport. Prize money grew and shearing joined other sports inadoptingprofessionalattitudesandsophisticatedfitnessregimes. Through the late 1980s and early 1990s, shearing established its presence as a major sporting code in New Zealand and the rest of the world. A national body, Shearing Sports New Zealand Inc, was formed to co-ordinate the annual competition calendar and maintain consistent judging standards.

Fifty years on, what is the secret to this competition’s continuing success? Without a doubt says Laurie Keats, it’s the superb volunteer base. “More than 200 people come together year after year like a well oiled machine and ensure that success.

“This next one is going to be huge. Many hours have already been spent planning and preparing an extended programme and celebration. If you are planning to enter or join the celebrations, book now, or you will miss out.”

Today’s shearers, wool handlers and wool pressers have the same dreams as those pioneers in 1961: 50 years later, they still strive to compete to their absolute best and one day become Golden Shears supreme champion.

Ivan Bowen, 1997, reliving that famous night in 1961 when he and brother Godfrey battled for the inaugural Golden Shears title. “I shore pretty well, Ivan,” Godfrey said, while awaiting the announcement. “And I shore pretty well too, Godfrey!” Ivan replied. And he did!

Shearing 25

Shearing Services LtdMossburn

Professional staff required.Well above award wages paid to quality staff. Classy accommo-

dation provided.

Ring Mana or Vanessa

03 248 6122 or 0274 770 448

ALLAN SCOTT SHEARING

Experienced, reliable staff required

Accommodation availableFor all enquiries

please call Allan on 03-614 7880 or 027-248 7157

Seven wonders of the world

These things keep coming around on the emails so chances are you’ve seen this before. But doesn’t it make you stop and think!

“A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present seven wonders of the world. Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

1 Egypt’s pyramids; 2 Taj Mahal; 3 Grand Canyon; 4 Panama Canal; 5 Empire State Building, 6 St Peter’s Basilica; 7 China’s Great Wall.“While collecting the votes, the

teacher noted that one student had not yetfinishedherpaper.Sheaskedthegirl if she was having trouble and the girl replied she couldn’t quite make up her mind, because there were so many to choose from. The teacher told her to read out what she had written and suggested ‘maybe we can help’. The girl hesitated, then read: 1 to see; 2 to hear; 3 to touch; 4 to taste; 5 to feel; 6 to laugh; 7 to love.

“The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things that we overlook as simple and take for granted are truly wonders.”(Our thanks to Dorothy Dowling of Balclutha for passing that one on.)

In the previous edition we reviewed a book called “Stitched Up”. These bales arrived at the wool store, stitched up in what might be termed a dangerous condition. Not dangerous for the bale, but certainly for the wool store worker. The supplier of the photos will remain anonymous but there was some mention of a bale that contained 64 bale clips. Best practice? More practice!

ADRIAN COX SHEARING LTD

has vacancies for experienced shearers

and shedhands for stayout work on his fine wool run based

in South Canterbury.

Excellent working conditions.

Give Adrian a call today!

Tel 03 614 7811

Mike Bool’s blade gang at Simon’s Hill Station in the MacKenzie Country. back left: Stacey, Turner, Tracy Bool, Scrub McCarthy, Jarrod Bool, Steven Bool, Neil Strachan, Tim Sugrue, Colin Wallace (classer), Yippee Corder, Chalky Anderson, Glen Fastier (boss). Front: Chevy, Fern Ormond, Sarah Yaxley, Flo Waititi, Ness Thompson, Kate Sillars, Tramon Campbell (leaning on bale).

Shearing 26

Wool products on-line(Morrison McDougall)Theworld’s first on-linewool prod-ucts shop has been launched in Eu-rope and New Zealand farmers are being invited to become suppliers.

www.thewoolroom.com has been launched by international wool ex-porter H Dawson, who had become alarmed at the lack of knowledge about wool’s superior qualities, com-pared to synthetics and the way this is beingreflectedinrawwoolprices.

“Shoppers who don’t understand the difference between wool and synthetic products are opting for cheaper syn-thetics,” says H Dawson’s New Zea-land managing director, Keith Cowan.

“As a result traditional retail shops have been destocking wool products. This is generating a lack of demand and being reflected in prices paid toNew Zealand farmers. We want to turn that round.”

Mr Cowan said www.thewoolroom.com has been designed for shoppers as an easy way to buy a huge range of wool products. But it is also a vehicle for farmers to identify a product that they can supply and link directly with manufacturers.

H Dawson has recently given pres-entations to woolgrowers in Nelson and Marlborough and given them an

option of signing up as suppliers. Jo Dawson, owner and chief ex-

ecutive of United Kingdom-based H Dawson said the only way the indus-try would grow and thrive is by in-volving farmers directly in the supply chain and increasing prices they get for their wool.

“But equally we’ve got to re-edu-cate an entire generation of shoppers that wool products are renewable and entirely eco-friendly, compared to synthetics that are made from non-renewable petroleum oil.

The product sourcing manager, UK-

based Liz Harper, buys high-end wool products from all over the world that are chosen on their design and manu-facturing quality. “If a new product does not pass the tests, then we will not sell it. We have chosen a whole variety of products, from bedding to cushions, from lampshades to baby blankets, from handbags to room di-viders,” Ms Harper said.

“They are made from wool from all over the world - from New Zea-land to South America to Europe, for example. There are so many wonder-ful wool products, we often promote a number of competitive alternatives and just let the consumers choose.”

The education of consumers into theuniquebenefitsofwoolmayevenbe the best feature of www.thewool-room.com.Thereisaspecificeduca-tional site within the Woolroom called www.woolipedia.com to feed today’s “information hungry” customer.

This site is a living and breathing re-source, which is the perfect forum for spreading wool’s message and is open to all members of the chain, particu-larly woolgrowers, to contribute to.

“It’s been great to communicate with consumers directly of the ex-traordinarybenefitsofwoolproducts.In the past, many consumers had been evaluating wool products but had no idea why they should prefer them over synthetic products,” Mr Dawson said.

“They understood that wool came from a sheep, but they did not ap-preciate what extra benefits woolcould bring them – moisture manage-ment,safetythroughflameresistance,warmth and so on…”

Keith Cowan is urging his clients to visit Woolipedia in www.thewool-room.comandjointheflock.

Keith Cowan, NZ Director H Dawson

Te Anau ShearingWe have jobs for

experienced shearers and shedhands

Phone Andrew on 03 249 7005

Shearing 27

Mike BoolShearing

22 Pringle Street, Timaru

Machine and blade shearers and shedhands wanted for the

coming pre-lamb season.

Accommodation available in Fairlie, tel 03 685 6133.

Phone Mike 03 688 6538 (home) or 0274 374 369 mob.

Steve Bool 03 685 6133 (home) or 0272 047 067.

McCONACHIE SHEARING LTD

WINTON

Raelene and Jamie are just a phone call away for all your

shearing needs.

We also encourage our staff to improve their skills through

shearing sports competitions.

Tel 03 236 9987Mob 0274 336 477

By Bernie WalkerThe August 2007 issue of Shearing featured a story about the myster-ies surrounding the Wolseley shear-ing medals. Recently, Sydney medal collector, Les Carlisle, found another of thesemedals, thefirst recorded inAustralia. Identical with the 25mm diameter NZ medals, the back of this medal records that it was awarded for a “Shearing record with Wolseley machines, Alf Merritt, Ringer, Cor-rawong Shed, Nov. 1932”.

Some doubt exists with the spell-ing of ‘Corrawong’ on this med-al. In 1888, 10 stands of Wolseley rope-driven gear were installed in the ‘Currawong’ shed, near Harden, NSW. This gear was the same as the

40 stands put into the more famous ‘Dunlop’ shed on the Darling River at Louth, NSW. It is thought the medal inscription may refer to the shed at Harden. Incidentally, the currawong is a common large black and white bird sometimes referred to as the ‘rain bird’ in eastern Australia.

Les Carlisle says the medals were made by Amor, Medallists in Sydney from 1888. He has a copy of their Die Register, listing dies up to about 1950. The Wolseley die is listed as Die No. A192, which he estimates to have been about 1930. If this is the case, how do we explain the medal believed to have been awarded to Bob Tutaki about 1913? Was it the same as those awarded in the 1930s? Other known recipients were Bill Richards (344 at Morikau Station, December 1934), Percy de Malmanche (409 at Pihama, December 1934) Keith Holloway (340 at Mangatoi Station, 1934) and Ivan Bowen (457 at Ruatoria, Decem-ber 1953). Godfrey Bowen may also have received a medal for his world record 456 at Opiki, January 1953.

It is believed the medals were pre-sented by Dalgety Ltd., distributors of Wolseley shearing gear in New Zea-land. But then the mystery deepens. Percy de Malmanche and Ivan Bowen were awarded 2 medals. Ivan received the circular medal and another shield shaped with the stylised and registered ‘Wolseley’ name on it. It is not known for certain whether Percy de Malman-che’s medals were for one achieve-

Medals mystery deepens

ment, as were Ivan Bowen’s, or if they were the same as Ivan’s pair. And if, as some people think, there were only 10 medals awarded, who has the others? If you can help solve the mystery of the Wolseley medals, Shearing would love to hear from you.

Above: The late Ivan Bowen’s Wolseley medals, both awarded for the same achievement. Below: The Carlisle medal, with an inscription similar to that on the reverse side of the round medal above.

The two-arm permanently installed swivel system to hang shearing bungies from. The two arms give full freedom of movement and will reach as far as the handpiece will reach. The ‘‘Back Mate’’ is the answer to making the bungy work properly.

‘Back Mate’ $290 + GSTOpen Side Bungy $390 + GSTClosed Bungy $370 + GSTChest belt $75 + GSTP&P per item $12 + GST

Mesa and Debbie LandPhone 09 405 9715

Mobile 0274 426 847adventurestay@xtra.co.nz

Shearing 28

Tua ShearingEketahuna

A great place for good people to work!

Work all year round ...shear more sheep ...

work in good sheds ...spend less time travelling ...

good meals and accommodation ... part of a friendly, professional team ...

Contact Motu on 06 375 8488or Lionel on 06 376 7877

or via our website

www.tuashearing.com

Newstead shed full of historyBy Bernie WalkerA brief stop opposite the Glen Innes (NSW) Historical Society premises led to answers to many family history questions for Euroa (Victoria) residents, John and Kerry Mason. John knew his great-great-grandfather, Edward Spicer, a convict transported from England in 1830, had worked on nearby ‘Newstead’ station, so made some enquiries. Situated in the MacIntyre River Valley at Elsmore, 20kms east of Inverell in the northern New England region of NSW, the Newstead station woolshed was made famous by artist Tom Roberts in his painting, The Golden Fleece. Newsteadwasfirstsettledin1841byScottishsettlers,

Dr. Colin Anderson and his wife, Mary, who had arrived in Australia in 1839. Their partners in the 71,680 acre property were Mary’s brother Duncan Sinclair, and his wife but, after only four years, Duncan left the partnership to become a Presbyterian minister. By 1847, Newstead was well established with 10,000 sheep and 30 acres of cultivation. Like so many others, the station resembled a small village, and was home to more than 30 people, with workers homes, the stables, the station store, a blacksmith’s forge, even a small church and graveyard.

Meanwhile, Edward Spicer had served his time and, in 1842, married Irish orphan, Isabella McDougall. They began working on Newstead where they were to raise 12 children. After 30 years, Edward died and was buried on the station. His wife and children later left the property.

Tragedy struck the Anderson family with the sudden death of Colin in 1852. Mary, with seven young children to care for, was also left with a large property and work-force to manage. Further tragedy struck the family the following year when two daughters died of scarlet fever. Mary then left the station and returned to England with her other children. Although absent, Mary continued to be actively involved with Newstead until her death in 1875. Her daughter Jane and son Alick lived there with their families in the 1860s. Patrick, Duncan and John, her other sons, shared the management duties until Patrick’s death in 1883. Newstead was then divided between Duncan, who retained the homestead section, and John, who took over the part on which there was another house, which he called ‘Newstead South’. A well-known descendant of the family is former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, and Leader of the National Party in the Federal Parliament, John Anderson.

Tom Roberts became good friends with Duncan Anderson and, from Christmas 1893 until his final visit in 1900,spent a great amount of time in the area, immortalising the district in 13 wonderful paintings. Two of the best known, The Golden Fleece – Shearing at Newstead, and Bailed Up,whichdepictsacoachhold-upatasitefivekmsfromNewstead, are in the Art Gallery of NSW.

In 1904, Newstead was sold to the Bucknell family. They set the property up as a sheep and cattle stud for three generations, before selling it in 1980 to the McNeall Pastoral Company, who did much-needed restoration work on the old shed during their 20 years of ownership.

In 2001, the controversial American religious order, the Bruderhof Community, bought it and used it as a retreat, before it was purchased by the present owners, Sundown Pastoral Company in 2005.

It is believed the old shed was built in 1857 and measured 62 feet (19m) by 18 feet (5.5m) with skillions on each side large enough to hold up to 700 sheep. Machine shearing was introduced about 1900, with 12 stands initially installed. Only three remain in the old ironbark shed which has changed little since Roberts painted his masterpiece. The artist appears to have depicted the shearing board as being wider than it actually is.

The board at Newstead - immortalised by Tom Roberts

Shearing 29

(From page 27) Part of the original shingle roof also remains under the present corrugated, galvanised iron roof. A sheep dip on the eastern side may date from the 1880s.

Newstead was photographed in 1995 by the Historic Houses Trust for an exhibition of New South Wales pas-toral heritage. The Bruderhof Community was keen to pursue conservation of the homestead. Discussions with Inverell Shire Council and the Historic Houses Trust led to the Premier, Bob Carr, making a grant of $180,000 to the project. This, with other contributions, has enabled the homestead to be preserved in an ‘as found’ condition.

The current owners, Sundown Pastoral, have an agree-ment with Inverell Council to allow limited public ac-cess to the property. Tours of Newstead can be arranged through the Inverell Tourist Centre.

JohnandKerryMasonwereinvitedtotheofficialopen-ing on 15 March 2009 which was performed by NSW Premier, Hon Nathan Rees (pictured above). They were delighted to inspect the homestead area and to join the Pre-mier for morning tea. As John said, “It’s amazing where one’s family history can lead to!”

Top: Tattooed Jacob Power shearing at The Rocks, Middle-march, last month, while Clarissa Lewis (above) is obviously enjoying herself at the same shed. Below: Kelly Hokianga,

looking like he’s done a few of these be-fore. Workers from Lyon Shearing.The Ozone

A Shearers Yarnby Kevin StevensonFor a signed copy

send $A35 or $NZ30 to

Kevin Stevenson73 Thomson Street

Invercargill.

Also available at your local Paper Plus Store

Shearing 30

Five more Aussies enter HallBy Bernie WalkerFive Australian shearing legends were inducted into the Australian Shearers Hall of Fame at the biennial ‘Festival of the Blades’ in the western NSW town of Hay on Anzac weekend, 25-26 April. Over an inch of desperately needed rain failed to dampen the enthusiastic support of those who gathered for the occasion from as far away as Queensland and Western Australia.

The Festival began on Saturday morning with a bus tour of the famous old woolsheds of Tubbo, Togganmain and Burrabogie, led by former stock agent, Clive Davenport. On Saturday evening, the ‘Shear Faces’ photographic and portrait competition and exhibitionwas officially openedand the winners announced. Shearer/photographer Troy Musgrove won the photographic section and Melva Hay was successful in the portrait section. Many took the opportunity to catch up with old friends when cold wind and teeming rain forced the cancellation of the outdoor Shear Strife Sound and Light show.

The Hall of Fame induction on Sunday was held in the old Murray Downs woolshed at Shear Outback and commenced with a minute’s silence in respect of Anzac Day. Chairman of Shear Outback, Duncan Fraser, officiated with support from SussanLey, Federal Member for the seat of Farrer, and Mick Rutledge, Mayor of Hay, who presented the certificatesand the Hall of Fame plaques to the inductees and their families.The five new members inducted

included the man some claim as the greatest shearer Australia has yet seen, Moree’s ‘Mick’ Thomas; dual world champion Shannon Warnest OAM from Willalooka, and former Australian team members John Allan OAM, John Harris and Steve Pittaway.

Although Hay and the Riverina region has been severely battered by at least eight years of drought, Duncan Fraser told those present that the Festival is really for the shearers of Australia and the Hall of Fame recognises those whose skill and character made them stand out among

their peers; men who have also helped develop the shearing industry, passing on their skills through training and the use of technology.

Two inductees, Mick Thomas and Steve Pittaway, received the award posthumously. Mrs Lynette Thomas told Anna Vidot of the ABC Rural Report that Mick would have been incredibly proud to have been counted among such company.

“He was very modest about it; I think it was just a job to him. He never said he was a great shearer or anything. He would have been very, very proud to have been thought about that way.” His award was received by his son,

Robert, on behalf of the family. Tony Pittaway said his father was

a shy man who would have been extremely proud to have been added to the list of Australia’s greatest shearers. Steve was not recognised as a big tally man, but as a very good and consistent shearer who just never gave in. In his tribute poem, Bernie Walker said Steve “could hold his own with anyone, and do it anywhere”. Two of Steve’s daughters, Carol and Vivian, wearing two of Steve’s Australian blazers, received the award on behalf of their family.

The youngest of the six original Tally-Hi instructors, headed by fellow inductees Kevin Sarre and Viv Parkes in 1965, John Harris of Euroa is the son of the legendary Bill Harris. A member of the Australian Team in 1976-77, 1977-78 and 1980-81, John won four Australian strongwool titles and the Australian Open and Shearer of the Year in 1980. John is and has been an outstanding ambassador for the Australian shearing industry.

Shannon Warnest OAM, from Willalooka, SA, and a dual Golden Shears world champion (Bloemfontein 2000 and Toowoomba 2005), said his father had taught him a good work ethic and John Hutchinson OAM had taught him how to use it.

A member of the Australian Team in 1962, John Allan OAM, who is probably better known for his involvement at a senior management level with four major shearing gear companies, Lister, Sunbeam, Heiniger and Beiyuan, has left a legacy of better designed handpieces and shearing combs.

“I am very proud to receive this award which recognises the footprint I have left on the industry,” John said. His biography is recorded in the book, Shear Magic.

The Festival concluded with a dinner at the Hay Services Club for the inductees, their families, friends and Shear Outback directors and members. Museum director, Annette Smith, said “The whole weekend was fantastic – the rain tumbled down and spirits rose to the occasion. All the visitors enjoyed the unique experience of true outback hospitality in Hay.”

Australia’s Shearing Hall of Fame inductee, the late Steve Pittaway

COMBINED SHEARINGMiddlemarch and Ranfurly

OtagoTel/Fax Ben Carson

03 464 3023 or 027 227 2307

Permanent positions for quality shearers and shedhands

Member of the NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association

Shearing 31

Criterion Club Hotel7-10 Tarbert Street, Alexandra

Tel 03 448 7204: Fax 03 448 7378

Hosts: Tony & Corranne Flannery

The Middle PubCheaper accommodation, new kitch-en and dining room, TAB and CRT

Legendz Bar & Restaurant

RON DAVIS SHEARING LTDCoveringOtago,Southlandandfurtherafield

from our bases at Balclutha and Otama

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sheep, great sheds, steady work.

We focus on providing top quality shearing and wool preparation service for our many clients in a competitive but relaxed working atmosphere

Farmers - we have the crew to meet your needs - when you want it, how you want it.

Ring Jason - tel 03 418 0824. E-mail rondavis@ihug.co.nz

The team at Craiglea, Roxburgh, Central Otago, August 2009. Back left: Willie Watson, Wes Tohiariki, Colin O’Neill (gang-er). Third row: Brian Attfield, Nathan Stratford, Dean Paranihi. Second row: John Jepherson, Aria Nixon, Joanne Kumeroa, Rose McGee, Waina Peneha, Jo Karamaena, Sharon Lawton. In front: Joel Henare, Ngapine Hakaraia, Eramiha Neho.

Shearing 32

By Tom Harding2010 promises to be a sensational year for sport in Wales. On top of all the customary highlights of the satiated sporting calendar such as the revered Six Nations, Heineken Cup (with a bidtohostthefinalattheMillenniumStadium currently in place), the usual football fixtures and Britain’s iconicround of the world rally champion-ship in Cardiff, we also welcome two additional very special events to our small country.

Whilst the Celtic Manor resort in Newport hosts golf’s Ryder Cup, the Royal Welsh Show (RWS) in Llanel-wedd, Builth Wells proudly welcomes the Golden Shears world shearing and woolhandling championships.

The Ryder Cup, the world’s third largest sporting event (behind the Ol-ympics and the Football World Cup), has generated unprecedented excite-ment since the bid to host the pres-tigious event was secured in 2003. Millions of pounds have been spent improving everything conceivable from the Celtic Manor hotel and golf resort itself, owned by local billionaire Sir Terry Matthews, to the local road infrastructure across South Wales.

Although the RWS shearing com-mittee doesn’t have the funds of a self-made billionaire at its disposal, preparations for the eagerly awaited 2010 world championships have been no less intense. To say that the dedi-cated team responsible for organising and staging this event are taking it as seriously as China took the Beijing Olympics would not be grossly over-stating matters. Sinceofficially securing thebid to

host 2010 at a meeting of the Golden Shears World Council in Toowoomba at the 2005 championships, prepara-tions began in earnest to make this the most spectacular event possible.

The Royal Welsh shearing stand, arguably the best in the Northern Hemisphere, had already been greatly improved with the addition of the new roof five years ago. Seemingly thein-vogue accessory for major sport-ing events these days, the Millennium Stadium now frequently shuts its re-tractable cover for rugby internation-als and this year even Wimbledon’s

Centre Court boasted one, allowing epic matches to be played to their conclusion regardless of weather con-ditions or the time of night.Officially opened by HRH The

Queen in 2004, the new shearing building at the RWS has ended the tradition of a loyalist core of intran-sigent shearing fans having to huddle under cheap umbrellas like drowned rats to watch the heats alfresco in the [sometimes] temperamental Welsh weather. Conversely, it also provides some much-welcomed shade on more seasonal July days.

Substantial improvements have been made to the whole physical structure of the stands, back-pens and viewing areas in the past year, and over the past few shows a revolutionary new computerised points scoring system has been implemented and tested. The new system provides detailed analy-sis of each competitor’s performance on a screen above their stand, similar to systems used at the Golden Shears and New Zealand Shearing champion-ships. David Fagan provided a glow-ing endorsement when he announced during a presentation at this year’s show that “This is now the best shear-ing competition venue in the world”.

Around 4,000 sheep will be shorn over the course of the championships, consisting mostly of lambs (and pos-siblyalsoewes),withafinaldecision

yet to be made. The local lambs epito-mise the crème de la crème of machine shearing and should make, as always, foranexhilaratingseriesoffinals.

After New Zealander Paul Avery’s nonpareil performances in recent Royal Welsh Open finals, scoringpoints so close to sheer perfection that they would be about as hard to improve on as the proverbial hole-in-one, he would have to be regarded as an odds-on favourite to make the NZ team, to be selected early in 2010. And even approaching the age of 50, who would have the audacity to rule out Royal Welsh crowd favourite and hero David Fagan with his voracious appetite for success? To say that those two would take a little beating would be more than mild understatement.

But with the potential for impres-sively strong teams from Scotland, Wales (backed by an impassioned home crowd), England, Ireland and Australia to make the cut, nothing will be for certain on the day, and the in-dividuals and teams machine shearing finalsshouldbeelectrifying.

Woolhandling honours should be hotly contested too, with teams from New Zealand and Australia battling against the home advantage of the Welsh and other British teams, hav-ing regard to the different method of handlingandpresentingfleecesintheUnited Kingdom. (To page 33)

Croeso i Royal Welsh Show 2010!

The Royal Welsh Show pavilion at Builth Wells - best shearing venue in the world

Shearing 33

BLEASEL SHEARINGWinton, Southland

Shearers and woolhandlers required for mainshear

October to March. Top pay rates, seasonal or permanent

positions.

Phone Dean03 236 8743

Ainsley Shearing Co.Central Otago

* We have an excellent pre-lamb run * We employ quality-conscious people * If you perform, work continuity is guaranteed

Phone Daryl or Toni on

o3 445 0403

JEFF DORSETS H E A R I N G

R O T O R U A

“We support all that is best in shearing.”

DRUG FREE GANGSTOP RATES

Jeff 0274 920 758or 07 348 0318

jdorset@reporoa.co.nz

Speculating on the likely victors at Builth Wells in 2010 will prove just as tricky an exercise for those who try as it will for the golf pundits trying to pick between the Europeans and Americans in the trans-atlantic en-counter that is the Ryder Cup.

One thing that will be an absolute certainty however is the unrivalled atmosphere and crowd involvement unique to the Royal Welsh, with num-bers of spectators quite literally well into the thousands. If there are two things that enkindle the intensefierypassion of the Welsh persona they are a rugby union international in the centre of Cardiff and (well, within the shearing and agricultural fraterni-ties,atleast)anOpenshearingfinalatLlanelwedd.

That new roof has needed every tonne of steel reinforcement it con-tains in its existence so far to prevent it being blown from its stanchions by the explosive fervour of the home crowd alloyed with excited fans from the rest of the United Kingdom and indeed all over the world.

The atmosphere surrounding the annual Wales vs New Zealand shear-ing test in particular, preceded by the Welsh national anthem and an al-mighty, ground-shuddering display of the haka provided by the abundance of visiting Kiwis, literally makes your hair stand on end and cannot be done justice by mere description. It simply has to be experienced.

The audience will as ever be whipped into even more of a frenzy by the fantastic commentary team, which goes from strength to strength each year. From the professional and highly talented enunciation of the legendary Tom Evans (‘The Voice of Welsh Shearing’) and Huw Condron

to the witty, risqué and, at times, bor-dering on downright cheeky styles of Beau Herdman and Steve Meredith, there promises never to be a dull mo-ment.

Shearing has always been one of the central highlights of the show and frequentlyattractsofficialvisitsfrommembers of the Royal Family, politi-cians and celebrities. During an of-ficial visit in 2008,David Cameron,leader of the Conservative opposition party and likely next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, was highly impressed by the speed and skill displayed in the competitions. Who knows who may turn up to the world championships next year?

For anyone who gets fed up of sheep, as one inevitably does, the rest of the show offers more than could possi-bly be crammed into four days, with everything you could imagine from wrought ironwork demonstrations, axe-racing and horse-riding stunts to cookery, shopping and live music. As

for the social side of things…just ask anyone who’s been and they are likely to assure you that an immensely grati-fying few days are par for the course!

The Royal Welsh Show, incorpo-rating the 2010 Golden Shears World Shearing Championships, will be from 19 (Monday) to 22 (Thursday)July 2010. If you are planning to at-tend, organise your accommodation as soon as possible. Information on this and other areas relating to the 2010 Golden Shears World Championships and RWS in general can be found at www.rwas.co.uk.

It is true what they say, there is al-ways a ‘welcome in the hills’ in Wales and a warm Welsh “Croeso” (wel-come) awaits all who wish to attend what promises to be a truly spectacu-lar sporting and social event. We look forward to seeing you!

The Royal Welsh Show pavilion - people out front and sheep out back

Shearing 34

How’s your back?

Bend the knees and hip joints rather than the back to use the power from

hips and upper leg muscles.

Barrett ShearingTuatapere, Southland

Staff required Dec-AprilGood accommodation/meals

Honest, reliable staffShears, Woolhandlers,

Pressers

Zane & Tina BarrettTel 03 226 6720 or

0276 266 720

By Janice GillgrenThere’s one question my shearing husband (Mark Gillgren) is asked more than any other when he tells people he’s a shearer: “How’s your back?” Everyone seems certain that all shearers have bad backs. Shearing is hard on the back and joints, of course, but careful lifting and animal handling, plus a consistent exercise routine, will help keep your musculo-skeletal system in optimum health.

Whangarei chiropractor Dr. Mike Smith, accredited in physiotherapy and physical rehabilitation, has been fixingbackssince1981.Heteachesaproactive approach to back care, be-lieving that self-help, both as preven-tion and treatment, can reduce your risk of permanent injury.

About 80% of people in Western Nations, New Zealand included, will have some disabling episode of back pain at some time in their life, and 60% will suffer from further chronic injury – most of which are preventable. If you load yourself with pain killers and continue to work, you may be condemning yourself to lifelong pain. Backfitnessisnotthesamethingas

brute strength. Being able to drag 200 or more large ewes across the board in one day may be impressive, but, “Ifyouarenot‘backfit’”assertsDrMike, “the joints of your spine may easily be injured.” Backfitness isyourbest insurance

for a productive work life. Developing backfitnessmeanstoningmusclesbyexercise so you can perform the basic range of movements safely and easily. These are helpful whether or not you have suffered any previous back injury, because exercise is also therapy.

Dr Mike’s ‘Simple Six’ [see next page] is a routine so simple that it should be as basic as cleaning your teeth. This routine is clearly demonstrated in a free e-book which can be downloaded from his website. (See below for contact details) These exercises require no special equipment, and cover an effective range of necessary movement. He has also invented a BackSmith exercise machine.

Lifting and BendingAs the shearer’s main back movements involve both bending and lifting, it is essential to remember that your power must come from your hips and upper leg muscles. Bend your knees and hip joints, not your back. Your hip is a ball and socket joint, and acts as both hinge and pivot.

While it is not recommended to twistwhilebending,thisisdifficulttoavoid while holding on to squirming sheep or goats that are determined to get out of your grip. This is where backfitnessisyourgreatesthelp.

Try not to let your back become rounded as you handle the animals, but keep it as straight as you can or –

better – with the normal inward curve of the lower back. “It isdifficult, inshearing, tokeep

the correct lower back curve,” Dr Mike says. “The amount of pivoting possible from the hip depends directly on flexibility - particularly of thehamstring muscles. Tight hamstrings limit how much a person will be able to bend properly. Therefore, hamstring stretching also needs to be part of a shearer’sbackfitnessroutine.”

Apart from lifting, the other major cause of problems for shearers is remaining in a bent position for so much of the day. Because of this, Dr Mike recommends the use of a back support belt and bungy harness where available. (To page 35)

Shearing 35

YEAR-ROUND WITH THE PAEWAI MULLINS TEAM

If you want to settle down with good conditions and steadywork,shearingorwoolhandling,youcouldfinda place in the Paewai Mullins team. We work for some great people and we have some great people working for us. There is always room for one more.

Box 129, Dannevirke.Tel 06 374 6882 : Fax 06 374 6881Mob 0275 395 078 (Tuma)Mob 0275 339 547 (Aria)

www.shearingnz.co.nz

Good habits are vital. “As the Bible teaches,” says Dr. Mike, “it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. Likewise, it’s the little wrong things we do repetitively that can add up to big problems.”

“Bending for a period of time effectively opens up the joints in your back, which may not align as they should when you stand up again.” Dr. Mike explains. “It pushes the disc material backwards and also increases the risk of repositioningthedisc,tearingthefibres,andcausingearlydegeneration.”

Several standing back extension exercises (check website for details), done as often as possible - every 10-15 min-utes at least, so probably do them whenever you change your cutters - will restore your normal lumbar curve, and

is one of the best quick exercises a shearer can do on a regular basis.

Basic First Aid for the BackPain indicates something is wrong, and it should never be ignored. If you do experience pain in your lower back, the problem will most likely be mechanical. Use moist heat such as a hot shower, or a wet towel wrapped around a hot water bottle and held against your back, for about 15 min-utes. After that, gently try doing the Simple Six exercises, or other stretching exercises. These shouldn’t hurt, but if pain persists, seek appropriate care rather than waiting for improvement.

Sciatica (pain radiating down the leg) indicates pressure onthenerveroot,anddampeningdowntheinflammationby placing ice packs over your back’s area of pain is your first course of action, followed by asmany ‘Simple Six’exercises you can do without increasing your pain.

An easy test to determine Sciatica is the “slump” test. Sit snug in a chair, straighten both legs with the knee joints locked, then tip the toes towards the nose, tuck the chin into the chest and gently cough. Pressure on a nerve root in the lower back will cause pain to radiate down the back, or the side of the affected leg. If this test is positive it will be necessary to seek appropriate care as soon as possible.

Dr Mike’s web site, www.backextender.com has plen-ty of resources, and is worth having a look. Exercises are clearly demonstrated on the site, and on free e-books.

Although there is a waiting list for the BackSmith ma-chine and Valeo (back support) belt, they can be ordered from their web site, or directly from the Whangarei Chiro-practic Centre, 20 Kensington Avenue, Whangarei, or by phone: 09-437-7345.

Shearing 36

New circuit for lower grades

PETER LYON SHEARINGPeter and Elsie are always looking for good employees, especially July-Oct and Dec-April. We shear 1.6 million sheep and crutch them at least once, so 3 million sheep have to be put out the porthole by somebody! Consider this:

• Topaccommodation,mealsandtravelprovided.Theonlychargeisajanitor’sfee $5 per day for shed staff and $7 per day for shearers.• ShearingpayratesasperNZSCAemploymentagreement(oraboveformerinos). Copy of employment agreement available on request.• Shedstaffpaidatagreedrates-attitudeandabilitytoperformmainconsiderations.• Payonceaweek,everyweek.Experiencenotessential-wearehappytopasson our experience from within the company.• Goodstandardofbehaviourexpected-wetakeadimviewofdrugsandtoomuch alcohol.• ReliableweatherpatternsinCentralOtago.

Wewelcomeyourenquiries-confidentwewillstackupastopqualityemployersBox 321 Alexandra: Tel 03 448 6378 : fax 03 448 9201

Forde Shearing LtdTuatapere, Southland

Staff required for new season. For all

enquiries please phone Darin or Julie

0272 297 760 or03 236 7760

Lower grade shearers on the competi-tion circuit during the coming season will have some extra opportunities to shine (and make some money) thanks to the introduction of the Brannigan Shearing Senior Circuit, and the Utiku Shearing Intermediate Circuit. For both circuits, shearers’ points will be taken from the heats of the fol-lowing competitions: Poverty Bay (Gisborne); Hawkes Bay (Hastings); Wairoa A&P Show; Taihape A&P Show; Rangitikei Shears (Marton); Taumarunui Shears; Apiti Shears and Waimarino Shears.Points fromeach competitor’sfive

bestshowswillbetotalledtofindthetop eight shearers to compete in semi finalsandfinalsatWaimarino.Pointswill be zeroed for both the semi-final andfinal events. Pointswill bescaled from 12 points out, with top qualifiergetting12;next11,then10,9 and down to 12th and all subsequent lowerqualifiersearningonepoint.Incase of a tie, a count back on overall best placings from the total number of shows entered will be the decider.

The Brannigan Shearing Senior circuit will carry total prize money of $3500.00 plus product, with the winner receiving $1000 and payout down to 8th place. The Utiku Shearing Intermediate circuit will carry the same prize money, winner’s cheque and payout down to eighth (semi-finalists). $3500.00 plus product,the winner receiving $1000 and pay down to 8th. The entry fee for both circuits is $25.00, with entries closing at the Taihape A&P Show. Contact Paul Kelly, 06 388 0250. PO Box 152 Taihape 4742. Email paul_k@xtra.co.nz .

Despite the credit crunch, Lister Shear-ing Equipment’s new 2009 shearing range has proved to be the best sell-ing shearing equipment range ever produced by the 100-year-old manu-facturer. The new Cobra, Mamba and Python are immensely popular with shearers across the world; from its home in UK, right the way across to Australia and New Zealand.

Alun Williams, Lister’s Manag-ing Director who started working for Lister back in 1973 as a designer, said, “The 2009 handpiece range is Lister’s biggest and most innovative combined new product launch ever. The Cobra, Mamba and Python are all very different, enabling everyone, from farmers to professional shearers, tofindahandpiecethatwillperfectlymatch their needs.”

Brian Davies, from the Welsh Shear-ing Equipment adds, “The 2009 range is without doubt, our best selling range yet. Each handpiece is innova-tive and uses the latest technology to deliver an outstanding performance. It’s not hard to understand why almost every shearer wants to get their hands on one.”

The Cobra is a traditional plain bearing handpiece which has been designed for farmers and occasional shearers. In contrast, the Mamba has been designed for professionals. It is Lister’s smoothest and most comfort-able handpiece.

The Mamba features a triple bearing

design, with two bearings in the barrel and an extra bearing in the long half to ensure minimal friction. Along with a balanced crank head, this enables the handpiece to run cooler and smoother with less vibration, providing both comfort and speed. The Mamba also has a twin row bearing by the crank which prolongs the handpiece’s life by increasing its resistance against wear.

For shearer’s who are looking for both comfort and durability, the ver-satile Python is the solution. The Python is dual bearing which still enables it to deliver a smooth, cool performance, but unlike the Mamba, it has a conventional long half, with no bearing to wear out or replace.

“Gotta spare comb, mate?“I said to him [Edgar Smith] ‘have you got a comb I could borrow?’ He handed me a comb and I shore my trial sheep with it - it was a beautiful comb and I knew right then I’d do well. I had a real neck and neck battle with BingMacdonaldinthatfinal.Thenhestopped to change a cutter, and later, he changed back to his original hand-piece. I shore right through without a change because I didn’t want to break my rhythm. The gear was gnawing the wool off a bit over the last three sheep but I just screwed the tension down and kept going.”(Brian Waterson, Golden Shears open final 1963 - from Last Side to Glory)

Lister celebrates 100 years

Shearing 37

Shearing 38

Based in Riversdale, Southland

Shearers / ShedhandsWanted for hard working,

professional teamMust be honest and reliable

Permanent or Seasonal

Main shear 5 January - mid AprilTop accommodation

Top pay ratesPaid weekly

Phone:Roger 03 202 5543 Cell 027 205 2192

Email: southlandwideshearing@xtra.co.nz

Would you like your sheep shorn by a company that:Does a top job at competitive rates?• Is accessible and can be contacted at any time?• Has all gangs supervised by quality personel?•

POTAE SHEARING HAS BEEN PROVIDING THESE SERVICES FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS

For a free, no obligation quote, contact Bill or Jim on 03 417 8123, any time.

A/H Jim 03 417 7289 or Bill 03 417 7246

Images from home and abroad: Top left: Archie Paterson winning the Scottish Blackface senior shearing championship at Lochearnhead last month. Top right: same venue, Andrew Dodds expressing commiserations to the New Zealand team, beaten by Mutch and Mitchell in the second test. Bottom left: holiday-makers on Stewart Island - you may recognise a familiar face or two. Above: no recognition problems here - Peter Lyon and Ron Davis, newly elected life-members of the New Zealand Shearing Contractors’ Association.

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