Bradshaw heralds a new breed of shearers

When Lockie Bradshaw talks about the shearing shed you can tell it’s a place he’s passionate about. “I just love the atmosphere, it’s just a great feeling walking into a shed with everyone working together in such a high paced, energetic environment” he said. “I love how you walk in and there's people around, you can hear the sheep out the back, the sheds always got that same smell of wool and lanolin and that same sound of the radio and the shearing heads going. “There’s just something about it, it definitely has a certain feel to it.” The graduate of the WA College of Agriculture - Narrogin recently received the WA Shearing Industry Association Neville Munns Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding student interested in persuing a career in the wool industry. Young men such as Mr Bradshaw are a valuable commodity to the shearing industry at the moment, with WASIA Vice President Eddie McEllister saying that every year the WA shearing industry needs 30 to 40 people every year to take up shearing to replace the shearers who are retiring. “Our industry absolutely needs these young people at the moment” he said. “We’re not seeing as many young people continuing on to work in the industry as we’d like, so we like to encourage as many young people into it as we can.” Mr Bradshaw said shearing is something he’s had an interest in since he was a kid. “I have a big interest in it, I've always liked it, even as kid on the farm i used to love shearing time and being in the shed amongst it. “I always thought it was great fun, dad gave me a go one time, and i just thought oh this is great. “Then i went to ag school and we had the opportunity to quite a bit of it there, and that's probably when i decided to take it a bit more seriously.” Mr Bradshaw is currently at home on the farm in Tambellup shearing for contractors and farmers in the area, and hopes to find a full time spot in a shearing team for the next few years. “It was hard learning- I'm still learning now really but I’m getting better which is good, and getting through a few numbers,” “I really like it. Its really satisfying work, its good money, and it’s a real hard earned dollar.” Mr McEllister says seeing young people like Mr Bradshaw come in with so much enthusiasm, energy and skill really encourages existing contractors. “There's a good future with sheep and wool, there's no doubt about it” he said. “Its just having the workforce to meet the demand of the growers, and with the ageing population of our shearers we really need the young ones being trained and coming on.” “It’s just so important.”