Pipiwharauroa - July 2013

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Pipiwharauroa 'Ahakoa Ka Ara Ake Anō!'

Robert (Robbie) Heathcote Cooper 1926-2013

managed to join the war in the Pacific arena through the Royal New Zealand Air Force. On his return post war he again worked on local farms but in 1948 moved to Denniston where he was employed in the coal mines and met his future wife Mary. Returning home Robbie again worked on the land including a stint at logging and eventually shearing. His contribution to the local shearing industry during the 1960s and 70s is what he is most remembered for locally. From here on the rest of Robbie’s story is taken from Stan Pardoe’s obituary for him at his funeral this month.

“Firstly I thank the Cooper family for the opportunity to make this tribute to Robbie. I have been asked by colleagues and friends of Robbie to make comment on the contribution he made to our region and the lives of many local people and families and his impact on shearing in Gisborne and the surrounding regions from 1960 to 1970. After the war Robbie was involved in a variety of farming related activities culminating in L-R Sam Farr, Bert Campbell and Pong Wyllie with Robbie Cooper in front, him becoming a station manager. He went to with the 1 millionth sheep Massey University to train as a wool classer and subsequently a call from HB Williams to shear 400 stud ram hoggets at Turihaua was Robbie Cooper was born in 1926 at Greenhouse the start of an amazing career for him that changed located halfway towards the point on the right of the face of the shearing industry forever. Tokomaru Bay. He was the second son of 12 children born to Leonard (Gordon) and Sarah Jane (Hera Heni) Cooper and extremely proud of his Māori heritage Wool was still ‘King’ and returns for sheep were from his mother who was a Ferris. Her grandmother, generally pretty good. Dags on many farms were a Erena Kaunga was the second wife of Captain Charles problem and shearers were expected to remove them William Ferris, together they had John (Jack) Sidney at the same time as they were trying to complete the Ferris who married Mere Kōtuku or Nga Ripene Waiti main shear. Living conditions on many properties, to put it mildly, were awful. Open fireplaces for cooking, who subsequently had Heni and two sons. unhygienic meat safes, very few showers, little or no After a brief period living at Wainui Robbie’s father hot water, straw or horse hair mattresses, unlined shifted the whānau to Hautaru Station in the eating and shearing quarters and long drop toilets Whakaangiangi Valley. It was there that Robbie and were the norm. Prior to Robbie entering the shearing his brother Charlie spent weeks loosening a large contracting business, the majority of the shearing rock perched on the apex of a hill directly behind was done by Māori family gangs. In many cases the the homestead to send it crashing down taking out contract rates and wages were low. As previously the cowshed and knocking out their milking cow noted conditions left a lot to be desired. that was tied up inside for milking. The cowhand barely escaped with his life. During the early years Many family gangs put up with them despite the low of the 1930s depression the Coopers moved back to wages as being in the industry also gave them jobs Wainui and, in 1933, shifted to a house in Tamarau. for the ‘off season’ including work on farms such as Robbie attended Kaiti School before moving on to fencing and scrub cutting. A benevolent contractor the then recently opened Gisborne Intermediate had much mana in our community. “pay,’ ‘a job for School before finishing his schooling at Gisborne High my relations,’ ‘pay my garage bill,’ ‘ they should be School. At just 14 years old and desiring to follow in thankful they had a job’ were the underlying thoughts his father and grandfather’s footsteps Robbie got a of the time. The NZ Workers Union had little or no farming job at Pihanui Station south of Wairoa and influence. Poor communication was an issue. thereon spent some time working on farms locally Robbie was a great talker. Because of his background and around Wairoa. he was able to change a farmer’s attitude. Nationally At only 18 years old after failing to enlist for the conditions started to change. This was reflected Māori Battalion during the Second World War Robbie in the quality of work done by the gangs. The NZ Workers Union came on board and supported the shearers to finally be provided with electric stoves, fridges, foam mattresses, good showers and toilets and decent food that all became the norm.

The 8 man record rally team

Robbie’s other big contribution was he paid his staff every fortnight. Only a minority of contractors had previously done this. It had been general practice to pay the shearers just the one cheque less advances at the end of the season. As far as the contractors were concerned the wife was the cook, she didn’t have to be paid, she cooks at home. That is why many of the shearers

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left to work for Robbie. Loyalty of staff was a problem but change of conditions and improved pay rates contributed to improved staff retention. Robbie also noted that the Bowen technique for shearing was the future and keenly took it on. The many young shearers he trained became guns. Instruction and training to use good gear and maintaining shearing shed plant produced a quality job. With his good wool classing background he employed and encouraged top shed hands and wool classers. Every gang had a wool classer, the benefits to a farmer’s clip was impressive. To profile the industry Robbie set out to make 6 and 8 stand shearing records. In December 1965 his gang made a world record shearing 3,012 sheep in a nine hour day at Waipare Station. Following on, in 1969 at Huiarua Station, they made another 8 stand record followed by a 6 stand record at Mount Hut Station in the South Island of 2,880. Robbie was also a strong supporter of the shearing competitions at our local A and P Show and the Golden Shears that are still a pinnacle of the shearing industry in New Zealand. The shearing season generally went for four months with a month for crutching in the winter. To provide work for his gangs in the ‘off season’ Robbie took on pole and pine planting and pruning contracts for his men. He also had on ongoing supply of fieldwork including tomato, peach, grape and kumara harvesting that provided work for the wider family of his workers after school, weekends and school holidays. There still exist within our rural communities fond memories of the extra income these opportunities generated. Many university students were able to earn a reasonable income to assist them with their studies. Robbie was instrumental in forming the Gisborne East Coast Branch of the New Zealand Shearing Contractors Association. Locally we had 100% participation of contractors who were provided with a costing sheet giving a rationale of what it really cost to shear 100 sheep. Contracting became a real business and Robbie and Red Fleming moved that I became chairperson, a position I held for 15 years. With Robbie’s passing there are now only two contractors from that era left, Buddy Smith from Whatatutu and me. Jimmy Waikato is the only shearer still alive from Robbie’s record breaking gang at Waipare in 1965. Yes, some of us have attended many tangi and shared great stories at the poroporoaki of many wonderful people. Robbie you uplifted the mana and profile of shearing in this region, your legacy and your contribution continues to this day. Only difference mate, there are no more 5am to 5pm days, they now only work eight hour days now and the gangs travel out to the sheds every day in vans with stereos, none of them know what it is like to travel on the back of a Bedford truck. Camping out in the quarters is rare. Even the shearing season has changed, sheep are shorn every month of the year and there are less of them. Shearers are also getting younger. Pīpīwharauroa also extends its aroha for the wonderful series of articles that you contributed in 2008 and 2009. You provided a record of an era that many of us cherish.

We will meet again one day for the final cut out and shout. Make sure to wipe the 2nd cuts off the top of the jug before you fill our glasses, Haere atu rā te hoa rangatira Haere ki tō hoa Haere ki ō mātua tīpuna Haere, haere, haere

Nā Stan Pardoe


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