Interview with Brian Waterson

Brian Waterson was born in New Plymouth in 1931. Recalls growing up on a farm at Mohakatino near Mokau, moving to Ohauiti near Tauranga and then to Port Waikato. Describes attending schools in New Plymouth and Tauranga. Discusses seeing shearing as the way to earn money to buy a farm. Recalls shearing around Thames for Jack Harrison of Taihape and buying a block of land at Port Waikato. Talks about conditions of woolsheds and shearers' quarters, shearing with Edgar Smith and Snow Pratt and developing his own shearing run from Te Paki to Port Waikato. Discusses family life. Mentions Shirley and Norm Blackwell. Talks about show shearing, open shed shearing and getting fit for shearing.

Discusses his family's history in the Wairarapa in the 1840s. Mentions Morrie, George and John Waterson and the Dalefield Dairy Factory. Describes the work of his father Morrie Waterson at the Featherston prisoner of war camp during World War II and road-building at Mohakatino. Discusses sport and social life. Describes working up to the Golden Shears and the elation of winning in 1963. Discusses Bing Macdonald's use of shearing gear. Mentions becoming a Wool Board shearing judge. Talks about shearers Mani Rangiawha, Jack Harrison and Snow Quinn. Describes shearing in Great Britain in 1970 as a highlight of his career.

Interviewer(s) - Laurie Keats

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 1.30 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-2527.

Photographs of Brain Waterson, 1963 Golden Shears champion

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-004205 - OHLC-004206