Shearing School

Fifty-one beginner and experienced shearers from all parts of the East Coast and Gisborne districts attended a five day shearing school at Huiarua Station. The school was organised by the Ruatoria branch of the Federated Farmers and the New Zealand Wool Board, and Wright Stephensons donated prizes for the competitions which were conducted over the five days.

Instructors were the N.Z. Wool Board chief instructor Claude Waite, North Island instructor Ivan Bowen, Jim Leach, Tom Smiler and Jim Tawhai.

The class was fortunate in having the run of Huiarua Station which has a 14 stand shed. Five thousand second shear sheep from a flock of 42,000 on the 28,000 acre property were made available to the shearers. The object of the class was to improve the technique of the trade shearers and give the learners a good grounding in essential shearing procedure.

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Ivan Bowen demonstrating.

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Jim Leach, Tom Smiler and Jim Tawhai.

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Claude Waite instructs a beginner.

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Adrian Williams, secretary of the Ruatoria Federated Farmers and Huiarua Station manager Doug Johnstone.

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The setting of the Huiarua station homestead.