Archie is a Sheep Man from New South Wales

Written by Mark White on August 10, 2005 - 1 Comment Download audio file (archie m!"# $n this !odcast, Mark White inter%iews Archie, a shee! man from the town of &mma%ille in 'ew (outh Wales, Australia Archie talks a)out the histor* of &mma%ille and life growing u! in the Australian countr*side M+ ,ello e%er*)od* We-re sitting .ust outside &mma%ille in 'ew (outh Wales, Australia And $-m .ust talking to Archie here Archie, *ou were )orn near here/ A+ 0es 0es $ was )orn here at 1egeta)le Creek ,os!ital M+ 2ight, so &mma%ille used to )e called 1egeta)le Creek A+ 3hat-s correct, *eah M+ When did the* change the name, do *ou know/ A+ 3he* changed the name )ack in 1452 M+ 2ight, and wh* was that/ A+ $t was )ecause at the time the go%ernor of 'ew (outh Wales was, his wife-s name was &mma, and he came to &mma%ille and o!ened u! the &mma%ille hos!ital and he called it &mma%ille, after &mma, *eah M+ And there used to )e a lot of Chinese !eo!le growing %egeta)les here )efore A+ 3hat-s right 3here was ",000 Chinese in &mma%ille M+ And a tin mine/ A+ 0es 3here was, uh, &mma%ille used to !roduce 600,000 tons of tin a *ear M+ And then when did the mine close down, do *ou know/ A+ 3he last mine that was in &mma%ille closed down in 1744 M+ And what *ear were *ou )orn/ A+ $ was )orn the first of 'o%em)er, 1762 M+ 1762 And *ou-%e worked in shee! all *our life/ A+ (hee! and machiner* M+ (o what was it like growing u! around here/ A+ 8uite good, *eah $-d do it all )ack o%er again M+ 0ou told me when, *ou told me once )efore when, um, when *ou were little *ou used to go out cutting trees for da*s at a time A+ 3hat-s right, *es, *es, *es c*!ress !ine, iron)ark, and tallowood M+ Can *ou tell us how *ou used to do that, like how man* *ou were there and how long did *ou go out for at a time/ A+ Well, we-d go out sometimes for si9 weeks non-sto! And $ was thirteen *ears of age $ used to swing an a9e M* )rother was fifteen We used to swing an a9e and we sta*ed with, uh, well we were the head of the gang in the finish, )ut we, us two *oung fellows, uh, there was $ think thirt* four of us and we were, at our age, we were ahead of the gang We were falling and making roughl* se%en to eight !ound more than an* of the other

gangs M+ And *ou are going out for si9 weeks at a time A+ (i9 weeks at a time, *es M+ ,ow man* trees would *ou cut in one da*/ A+ :h gee, we were cutting u! to three thousand su!er-feet M+ What-s that/ A+ Well, that-s when it-s sewn u! After the trees are felled and the*-re sewn u! 3hat-s cu)ic feet, cu)ic feet in *our tim)er is three thousand cu)ic feet M+ 2ight And *ou-d sta* out for, like, si9 weeks at a time Where did *ou slee!/ Did *ou .ust cam!/ A+ :h, sometimes we sle!t in the o!en, out, *ou know, alongside logs $t wasn-t eas* 'o, it was !rett* tough We walked a long wa* a lot, *ou know, the )rother and $, we walked u! to si9t*, se%ent* miles to work $t took us three or four da*s to get there, carr*ing our swag at thirteen and fifteen *ears of age $t was a !rett* tough time M+ And did *ou take food with *ou/ A+ 0es, *es, *es, *es $t was a )it nast* when *ou-d get a storm or something like that )ecause, so as *ou had dr* clothes and what *ou had with *ou, *ou-d stuff u! a log and then *ou-d !ro)a)l* sit in the nude out in the rain till it was o%er M+ $t must ha%e )een cold A+ $t was $t was $t was shocking at times 0ou know, those times;*ou hear !eo!le toda* sa* things are tough toda* 3he* didn-t know what toughness was 3he* don-t know 3he* don-t know 3he* had no idea M+ And *ou were sa*ing )efore sometimes if *ou didn-t ha%e much food, *ou-d kill a kangaroo and eat that A+ 0e!, that-s right 0eah, *eah, that-s correct M+ $t took all da* to cook it A+ Well, half it did M+ When did *ou start running shee!/ A+ <ack in 1757 $ ne%er had one acre of ground $ leased countr* then, in 1757, out in this area, and )uilt m*self from there M+ Do *ou shear *our own shee! or;/ A+ 'o 'o, $ !a* shearers <ut all the stragglers = that means the ones that *ou-%e missed = $ shear all them me-self 0eah, $ do all that And $ crutch all me own shee! M+ 2ight A+ 0eah, *eah M+ Ah;good on *a 3hanks a lot mate A+ 0eah, *eah