Williams, Des, active 1999

Date: 31 Jan 1999

From: Past champions oral history project - The Shear History Trust Golden Shears Open Champions

By: Potae, George William, 1936-; Williams, Des, active 1999

Reference: OHInt-0509/12

Description: Interview begins with greeting in Maori. George Potae refers to New Zealand Broadcasting tapes with his grandfather in 1947. George Potae was born in Kennedy Bay in 1936. Notes his father shore in the area and on Great Mercury Island. Recalls education at St Stephen's College and Coromandel High School before joining his brother Mac Potae shearing in the Wairarapa. Discusses working on stations on the Wairarapa coast including Huiaurau, Whakapirau and Te Awaite. Mentions people he shore with and recalls brothers Eric, Mac, Bill and Colin also shearing. Describes developing a shearing contract in Milton from 1960. Compares the northern and southern shearing season. Mentions dairying in the north between seasons. Discusses operating twenty five gangs in the Milton area. Mentions having Snow Quinn on the staff and the old shearers' quarters he established, `The Ranch'. Recalls entering the Golden Shears in 1961, making the finals in 1965, 1966, 1967 and winning in 1969. Discusses other shearers in the 1969 final including Danny Holland, Kerry Johnstone, Tony O'Reilly, Brian Waterson and Eddy Reidy. Discusses strategies of competition shearing and Maori versus Pakeha competition. Describes winning a trip to England to the Bath and West Show, returning to New Zealand and being a finalist in three more Golden Shears. Mentions Bill Meech, Samson Te Whata and `beating the (Snow) Quinn'. Comments on being responsible for changing the face of shearing in the south. Talks about setting up the New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year competition in Balclutha. Discusses the Balclutha Show and the Young Farmers Club (YFC) movement. Recalls buying Maori land in Coromandel in 1970, developing a kiwi fruit orchard and a mussel farm. Discusses the impact of 1984 government change on this business and returning to the Coromandel from Milton. Discusses the mussel industry and employing local people. Mentions the number of young people he employed in Milton. Recalls the 1997 reunion of previous Golden Shears champions. Interviewer(s) - Des Williams Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-2522. Photo of George Potae, Golden Shears champion 1969

Date: 11 Jan 1999

From: Past champions oral history project - The Shear History Trust Golden Shears Open Champions

By: Williams, Des, active 1999; Forde, Edsel John, 1960?-

Reference: OHInt-0509/07

Description: Recalls growing up in Orepuki, Southland. Gives details of his Irish great grandfather settling on land in Tuatapere. Describes the township, his education, brothers and sisters, intermediate schooling in Invercargill, staying with his grandparents and secondary education at Marist College. Describes sporting activities and achieving representative status. Describes leaving school, shearing with Les Bevan and attending shearing schools in the Milburn Valley and at Rakaia Island, Christchurch. Mentions Golder Davidson, Ian Rutherford and Ernie Mason. Recalls winning local shearing contests. Describes working for Geoff Fagan in the King Country, returning south, buying land at Orepuki and continuing to shear. Describes working on skills and developing a suitable style and speed. Recalls attending consecutive shearing schools, becoming focused on the Golden Shears and working for Colin King. Discusses leading shearers in Te Kuiti and the highly competitive nature of shearing. Talks about tallies. Compares northern and southern shearing in terms of second shears and open and contract sheds. Mentions the northern advantage in competitions. Describes Colin King's help in his achievement of victory at the Golden Shears in 1989. Mentions Larry Lewis, Sam Te Whata, John and David Fagan and Kevin Walsh. Describes the build up to the event and competition with David Fagan. Talks about the World Ewe Shearing Record in 1992 and shearing in Australia, England, Norway, Ireland and France. Talks about his wife Margaret, sons Rory and Paddy and family life. Discusses the narrow comb dispute. Interviewer(s) - Des Williams 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-2517. Photographs of Edsel Forde as 1989 Golden Shears champion

Date: 2003-2013

From: Garland, Phil, 1942-2017: Papers and recordings

Reference: MS-Papers-11839-020

Description: Contains printed emails between Garland and Des Williams concerning songs, verse, the poet Ross McMillan, and other matters. Also thirteen copies of `Shearing' magazine (edited by Williams) published between 2005 and 2013. Quantity: 1 folder(s). Physical Description: Typescripts and printed matter

Date: 1967-1970, 1984, 1993, 2006-2007

From: Garland, Phil, 1942-2017: Papers and recordings

Reference: MS-Papers-11839-026

Description: Contains copies of poems by Naseby farmer Ross McMillan (a..k.a. `Blue Jeans'), including typescripts and clippings from newspapers. Also letters from McMillan discussing Garland's songs based on his poems; together with series of 1967 letters from the law firm Fraser MacDonald Martin concerning copyright and royalties. Includes copy of McMillan's collection `In the shade of the High Country' (1970) and newspaper insert relating to 1993 Otago Cavalcade. Quantity: 1 folder(s). Physical Description: Mss, typescripts and printed matter (some photocopies)