When I was a small boy, I think about 10 or 11 years of age, I
was working for my living for a Mr Fuller.
Mr Robert Fuller of Borenore, nice old couple.
Everything went along beautiful there for a few days and I
thought, 'if ever I get big enough I'd like to take on this
sort of a job'.
And shearing time come around.
'Now', he said, 'you're always talking about,' he said,
'shearing'.
He said, 'my boy', he said, 'there's three or four hundred
sheep here'.
And he said, 'sharpen up your shears', he said, 'and let's
see what you can do with them'.
He said, 'I don't care', he said, 'if you only shear 10 a
day', he said, 'it'll do.'
And he said, 'but one thing I want you to know', he said, 'is
the sheep want all their skin and I want all the wool.'
I didn't take up droving until 1918.
It was a bit of a bad year in 1918.
And I went out to Mr Harry Taylor and Mr Batty Carroll, who
had a lot of sheep, and they got permission to run them in
Nangar.
And I was the fellow that took them out there and camped out
there with them and cut them out and stayed there with them for
four months.
And never lost one.
Camped on the river down below Cadogan and there was an old man
camped not far away with a sulky.
And he came over to the fire and he said 'hello drover.'
'Good night mate, sit down.'
'Had your tea?' 'Yes.'
'Oh,' he said, 'when I was a young man,' he said, 'I used to
a little bit of this droving.
He said 'it's happy life'.
He said, 'take me back to the happy bush land, where the air
is fresh and sweet.'
'Away from the stinks of the city and the dens where the
criminals meet.'
'Let me ramble alone by the river where the reeds they bend
and bow, for the drover man has pleasures what the townfolk
never know'.
1908 I started shearing.
I shore, I think, till about 23 or four and the wounded arm got
very, very sore and stiff.
I was shot through the arm on the 16th of August at 10 o'clock
at Pozières.
The hospital was run by Canadian doctors and Canadian nurses.
When I got there, all covered in blood and everything else, and
they dump you in on a stretcher.
When you get wounded you get a ticket tied on to you.
Of course you got a concussion and shell shock and that and you
can't say much.
There's a lot of nice baths already with the water in them.
And I don't know, of course, I didn't have too much good
senses.
I don't know whether they took my boots off or not but I rolled
off the stretcher into one of these baths.
And I having a terribly good time in this and along comes
these orderlies with their sleeves rolled up in and they
said, 'look at these fella, he's in with his clothes on.'
You can see by the look of the house I don't use too many
dusters or wear them out or brooms or that kind of thing.
I just look after myself.
I get poor old Mrs Spicer to do my washing.
I go around and go and get a feed up in town if I wanted.
You always keep a bit of some kind of thing to have for
breakfast.
And I walk to town in the middle of the day and get a feed or
perhaps at night.
See I've got so many dogs for friendship.
I got 6 or 7 dogs.
I suppose he's five years old now, Bluey.
He is the best watchdog.
So if I camp out here, and there's a tent piece or a
tarpaulin up here, he's laying on the foot of the bed.
And if he growls, you can bet your life it's something in two
boots.
Someday dear old Bluey, you will miss me, when I cross the pearly
sea.
How I hope some good, kind friend will love and keep you
and sometimes you will remember me.
Stuff you made yourself? Mutton fat.
Get a bottle of scent, boil some mutton fat and dropper.
Little bottle of scent makes a good hair lotion.
I think they might telll you it's a bit short.
Last time I went to the doctors to get my eyes changed
I asked him why my eyes got sore when I looked at TV.
All the neighbors around have got them, very kindly asked me
to go and look at them.
And I always notice of a morning I had sore eyes.
Well he said, 'I didn't want to tell you this Reck,' but he
said, 'you're getting cataracts.'
He said, 'I'd advise you not to look at it.'
Life's been very good to me, I wouldn't want to change it.