BLADE SHEARING AT POONCARIE
Posted: Mon May 16, 2011 10:54 am
BLADE SHEARING AT POONCARIE
I wonder if you’ve ever heard of a place called Pooncarie
where the folks are friendly, everyone’s your mate
Some say located right next to the middle of nowhere
a small country town, a fact not for debate.
She’s nestled close to the Darling somewhere out Menindee way.
She’s seen a camp set up by Burke and Wills nearby
at old Tarcoola station in 1860 that took place.
Camp number thirty on their northward journey dry.
In her heyday there were steamers – paddle driven at the wharf
loading up with bales of wool and heading south.
They’d collected bales from Queensland and from northern New South Wales
and now followed their Darling to the river mouth.
Pooncarie sits on semi arid outback plains out west
‘next to the middle of nowhere’ I heard it said.
She has woodlands rich with eucalypt, a small population blessed
with clear skies, free of pollution overhead.
Today she’s just a sleepy town – population less than fifty
with an ambience unhurried and all day to sit and laze
beneath the river gums, fishing for Murray Cod in the Darling
as in paddocks round about you white Merinos graze.
You can play a little golf, there’s only nine holes – nothing fancy
the course has charm all its own as you will see.
And if that becomes too stressful well just wander to the Pub
In 1876 the Telegraph was built. That’s history.
They have a race day in October, when the girls dress in their best
and the blokes from round about wear their good gear.
Bright shiny boots, new jeans, akubras, RM Williams shirts.
The local horses race, there’s bookies and there’s beer.
The field days a day not to miss – if you want to touch base
and be informed or maybe catch some local action.
See the ladies back a trailer – well some can – it’s not a race,
there’s more to see, this is but one of the attractions.
You can see sheep shearing done the way that Jackie used to do
with a blade, hand driven through the creamy wool.
Those blades are sharp as razors, and they keep them honed that way
‘cause they need a quick clean cut. No snag or pull.
A good blade shearer holds his beast in a grip firm but gentle
as his left hand parts the wool before the blade.
His wrist upon his shearing arm is flexible and supple,
and he bends forward as every blow is made..
He aims to see each wether shorn at steady even flow
with an equal length of short wool left behind.
The rhythm and the timing’s like Bush Poetry you know
and good blade shearers are scarce and hard to find
They had working dogs Ute jumping – that’s a sight I tell you Mate
when you see these Kelpies, Border Collies, Blues
leap into a Ute , and scrabble, scramble, clamber up the side.
The winner nearly cleared two metres – Yes!!! That’s true.
But these dogs are truly athletes of the canine four feet kind
and they clamber over woolly backs most days.
They can run near fifty clicks in a pinch I’ve heard it said
and they ask for very little in their pay.
Yes a bloke could do far worse you know than live out near Pooncarie
where the folks are friendly, everyone’s your mate
It might be situated right next to the middle of nowhere.
Location beautiful – that fact’s not for debate.
Maureen Clifford © 05/11
I wonder if you’ve ever heard of a place called Pooncarie
where the folks are friendly, everyone’s your mate
Some say located right next to the middle of nowhere
a small country town, a fact not for debate.
She’s nestled close to the Darling somewhere out Menindee way.
She’s seen a camp set up by Burke and Wills nearby
at old Tarcoola station in 1860 that took place.
Camp number thirty on their northward journey dry.
In her heyday there were steamers – paddle driven at the wharf
loading up with bales of wool and heading south.
They’d collected bales from Queensland and from northern New South Wales
and now followed their Darling to the river mouth.
Pooncarie sits on semi arid outback plains out west
‘next to the middle of nowhere’ I heard it said.
She has woodlands rich with eucalypt, a small population blessed
with clear skies, free of pollution overhead.
Today she’s just a sleepy town – population less than fifty
with an ambience unhurried and all day to sit and laze
beneath the river gums, fishing for Murray Cod in the Darling
as in paddocks round about you white Merinos graze.
You can play a little golf, there’s only nine holes – nothing fancy
the course has charm all its own as you will see.
And if that becomes too stressful well just wander to the Pub
In 1876 the Telegraph was built. That’s history.
They have a race day in October, when the girls dress in their best
and the blokes from round about wear their good gear.
Bright shiny boots, new jeans, akubras, RM Williams shirts.
The local horses race, there’s bookies and there’s beer.
The field days a day not to miss – if you want to touch base
and be informed or maybe catch some local action.
See the ladies back a trailer – well some can – it’s not a race,
there’s more to see, this is but one of the attractions.
You can see sheep shearing done the way that Jackie used to do
with a blade, hand driven through the creamy wool.
Those blades are sharp as razors, and they keep them honed that way
‘cause they need a quick clean cut. No snag or pull.
A good blade shearer holds his beast in a grip firm but gentle
as his left hand parts the wool before the blade.
His wrist upon his shearing arm is flexible and supple,
and he bends forward as every blow is made..
He aims to see each wether shorn at steady even flow
with an equal length of short wool left behind.
The rhythm and the timing’s like Bush Poetry you know
and good blade shearers are scarce and hard to find
They had working dogs Ute jumping – that’s a sight I tell you Mate
when you see these Kelpies, Border Collies, Blues
leap into a Ute , and scrabble, scramble, clamber up the side.
The winner nearly cleared two metres – Yes!!! That’s true.
But these dogs are truly athletes of the canine four feet kind
and they clamber over woolly backs most days.
They can run near fifty clicks in a pinch I’ve heard it said
and they ask for very little in their pay.
Yes a bloke could do far worse you know than live out near Pooncarie
where the folks are friendly, everyone’s your mate
It might be situated right next to the middle of nowhere.
Location beautiful – that fact’s not for debate.
Maureen Clifford © 05/11
