Don Boyle
Those of you involved in the wool industry will certainly recognise this man.
Don Boyle
Farmer from Broomehill, Gun shearer and Stalwart of the wool industry.
As we sat down for a coffee at Rustlers we were surrounded by relics from the old farming days.
And so - before the interview began - Don was telling us that he use to catch rabbits with rabbit traps and sell them for 5 bob a pair when he was younger.
Other than selling rabbits Don - tell us how it all started
I grew up on the family farm, 950 acres at Rocky Gully. There was not enough room on the farm for all my siblings, so I decided to go shearing. I started out shearing at the Mt Barker High School.
Back then you used to start out rousing and upskill to be a shearer but I went straight into shearing. You had to get to bed early, work hard and get fit. Not just physically but mentally fit too. Being on a handpiece all day kills some people. “You have to be tough!”
I wasn’t all that tough, as I then married Jan.
Jan and I bought a bush block - 1,500 acres at West Kendenup. I would spend all day working in the sheds and go home to sit on the tractor to clear the land to begin our own family farm. Shearing and clearing!
Our generation has seen the most change of any generation. Horse and carts to driverless tractors; bags to augers; we started with nothing. You could make a decent living off 1200-1500 acres then. Now you need 4,000 acres so there are a lot less farmers. Even in the shearing shed things have changed. We used to campout when doing a shed. Not now. The suburban shearers want to be home every night. There also were never any females in the shearing shed.
How many sheep did you shear in a day?
I used to average 160-180 sheep in a day. This was with narrow gear.
Wide gear was introduced to lessen the shearing time and was designed for crossbred sheep. However, it really did not suit merinos. There was huge uproar with shearing sheds being burnt down in the eastern states. Shearers were concerned they were going to be put out of work. I was one of the last ones in WA to continue using narrow gear.
Tell us about the shearing schools
I found there was a real need for training in the Mt Barker area and I went on to setup the shearing schools. Through the TAFE I employed trainers and we held schools throughout the whole state.
My aim was to teach people how to shear properly first, how to tidy up and then later comes the speed. Young blokes are too worried about being quick but they need to master the skill first.
Due to the need for speed and the desire to be paid the most for a day’s work, standards have slipped over the years. Farmers were not game enough to pull the shearers into line due to the shortage of skilled shearers. Shearers on our teams are quick to clean up when they can see my boots out of the corner of their eye. They tell me I must have magic boots.
When did you start shearing competitively?
In my late 30s a friend entered me into my first shearing comp. I then went on to win 13 out of 15 competitions across Western Australia in one year.
It was incredibly special to see my two sons and I competing in a competition together, 3 out of 6 in the final.
Over the years my sons have also competed in competitions across the world. My eldest son Damien is ranked 1 of the best Merino shearers in the world, winning 9 out of 10 competitions in New Zealand and 23 out of 24 at the Perth Royal Show.
About 15 years ago my youngest son, Brendon, shore 973 Merino ewes in 24 hours. He not only broke a world record with the most merino ewes shorn in a 24 hour period, but he also raised $40,000 for prostate cancer research, a cause very close to us.
Do you prefer farming or shearing?
Our dream was always to be farming in Broomehill. I can now use what I have learnt from shearing to get better results from farming. Each year we produce approximately 700 bales of wool from 20,000 sheep. Most farmers average 5kg, we average 7.5-8kg per head. We have done this by breeding the skin on the sheep. By picking good sheep we ensure the follicles are denser producing more wool. Also feeding the sheep more is important – but you cannot supplement good green feed.
Like any profession you put your heart and soul into it. For us it has definitely paid off.
You have recently been through a lot of succession planning work with Gary, when did you know it was the right time to start the process?
We have always been thinking about succession. Our boys were always involved in the farm from a very young age. However, it was not until I could see the grandies getting older and working on the farm that I thought, “who is going to be paying them?” It was time to hand over the reins.
