TOMORROW marks the first day of autumn and much of our district has returned to a pretty parlous situation.
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Some mobs of cattle are roadside grazing again and even the areas that have been favoured by storms are drying off rapidly.
Meat markets for stock that are in forward to fat condition are sound and wool auctions have improved steadily since the Christmas recess.
China’s suspension of all wool from South Africa (because of foot and mouth identification) has given our markets a real fillip.
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The ewe trail
TO hand is the Bathurst Merino Association booklet for tomorrow’s Jack Seaman Memorial Ewe Competition.
This is the 24th annual competition and details are as follows. Bookings have closed, but feel free to view any of the participating teams on property.
- 7.30am: Leave McDonald's car park.
- 8am: Healey family, “Box Hill”, 1819 Turondale Road.
- 9.15am: Richard and Charles Dutton, 1187 Box Ridge Road, Duramana.
- 11am: Selby/Rayner, “Sunyside”, Hill End.
- 11.45am: Geoff and Robyn Rayner, “Pomanara”, Sallys Flat.
- 2pm: Gordon Nash, “Ulabri”, 383 Paling Yards Road, Wattle Flat.
- 2.45pm: Jerome Carberry, “Dulcis Vale”, 2656 Limekilns Road, Limekilns.
- 3.30pm: Suzanne Davis, 114 Tabberatong Road, Limekilns.
- 4.15pm: Grant Toole, “Kiloola”, 256 Pymonts Lane, Peel.
- 5.30pm: Return to McDonald's car park.
The booklet is a credit to the association and I think that Kirby McPhee’s fingerprints are on every page. Thanks Kirby. It's a great presentation.
Will be missed
SINCERE sympathy is offered to Gail Windsor and the family on the recent passing of John Windsor in Bathurst.
John was a member of the pioneering Windsor family of Evans Plains and he was involved in the community and business life of our city for many decades.
He is missed by his many friends and colleagues.
Numbers game
LAST week’s article on the wool consignments from Perthville railway in the 1960s caused a lot of discussion and much comment concerned the disappearance of many merino flocks.
A reader mentioned the number of shearers and contractors who worked from Bathurst and we tested old memories for contractor names.
Alan Elphinstone, Roy Jaques, Ted Whiteman, Ted, Jack and Neil Constable, Jack Howard, Colin Dean, Arthur Schumacher and Stan Higgins; each of these men employed shearers, shed hands and wool classers.
There were no females in woolsheds and hydraulic presses had not been invented.
Total sheep numbers are hard to source, but I know that the Schumacher teams shore 42,000 in some years, starting late July and finishing mid-February, and all in the Bathurst/Oberon district.
Morgan night
NEIL Francis tells me that the profits from the Chad Morgan show in the Burraga Hall on Friday, March 22 will go to provide more sections and prizes at the 2019 Burraga Sheep Show.
Families who enjoy a laugh, some real country music and a real country night out will appreciate Chad’s music and his sense of mischief.
Not many lovers of classical music will be on the bus from Oberon, but most who attend will appreciate a bit of fun.
Don’t forget a real Burraga barbecue from 6pm.
Poets know it
THURSDAY, March 7 at 7pm at the Perthville Hall will present lots of bush poetry, country songs and a bit of storytelling.
If you’ve ever wondered where all the old characters have gone, why not rock up to Perthville and see exactly where some of them are.
If anyone has been wondering where to get Paul Chapman’s or Harry Bestwick’s personal autograph, here is your only chance.
Wool report
THE Chinese suspension of greasy wool imports from South Africa and the temporary suspension of South African wool sales due to a foot and mouth outbreak drove the Australian market up this week.
All micron categories enjoyed good rises. The superfine and fine wools were up around 30 to 40c/kg, the medium merino were up 50 to 60c/kg and the broad merino gained 80c/kg to 100c/kg.
The 21-micron wools broke all records, finishing the week on 2368c/kg, which has never been reached before.
Crossbred wools also sold in sellers' favour.
The Northern Market Indicator finished the week on 2074c/kg, up 63c/kg.
The bullish market did, however, start to dampen late on the last day of selling as news filtered through that South African wool sales would resume next week, which could mean our market could be slightly cheaper next week.
The sudden rise has brought all wool out of hold sales on to the market to increase next week’s offering to 49,738 bales nationwide.
Mark Horsburgh, TWG Landmark
Laugh lines
THE doorman at a very upmarket club rushed to open the back door of a Mercedes limo, missed his step and fell to the kerb.
“Be much more careful, Jeeves," the club manager chided him. "People will think you are a patron."
***
AS the primary school concert rolled on with poems and songs and short stories, the third class teacher asked Tommy to do some farmyard sounds and noises.
After much cajoling, Tommy cupped his hands and yelled: “Get off the bloody tractor; shut the blasted gate; bring me a damn Stillson and hurry.”
***
BY the time George was old enough to read women like a book, he was too old to start his library.