Title: Famous Times: Historic Woolsheds of Hawkes Bay
Author: Angus Gordon
Publisher: XlibrisNZ
ISBN: 978-1-4990-9916-4
Pages: 118
Genre: History/Agriculture/Architecture
Reviewed by: Carol Davala

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Author Angus Gordon is a fifth-generation farmer at Clifton Station, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, and clearly a man who takes pride in the history and beauty of an area renowned for prosperity in the raising of sheep for well over a century. Unfortunately with time’s passage, he has witnessed the industry sidelined into a sunset trade with many farmers clinging to over-valued properties and minimal cash flow.

Still, Gordon has found a silver lining in this cloud. Travelling thousands of kilometers along New Zealand’s coast, and meandering the backcountry, he has located the landmarks that were often a focal point of these farms and a key component to the sheep owner’s livelihood. In Famous Times: Historic Woolsheds of Hawkes Bay, Gordon takes readers on a photographic journey in celebration of the bounty of 100- year-old structures, unique to the region and a testament to the tenacious farmers who withstood a world of ever-changing circumstances.

This vital book pays homage to ancestral visions and those individuals who chose to preserve the elegant antiquity of the old sheds, built primarily for the shearing of livestock. While many of these buildings in their classic red and white stylings appear in extraordinary condition, others reveal the wear and tear of years; with peeling paint and worn sideboards. Early woolsheds possessed an individuality. These unique architectural designs were often well crafted with native timber, shingled roofs, and Matai or Rimu tongue-and-groove floorboards. Newer buildings have lost such qualities, with many constructed of mere corrugated iron.

The sheds are captured in beautiful, full-color photographs, often showcased against glorious spans of rolling hills and blue skies. High angle views of Harpouri, the outstation at Ocean Beach and the mountainous coastal region of Cape Turnagain are particularly memorable landscapes. Beyond this solid craftsmanship are images including operating equipment, shearers’ quarters, workers from the late 1800s, and a museum. The walls of an Oreka shed even note the unfortunate nuance of modern day graffiti.

The complimentary narrative offers a history of the farm properties detailing dates, ownership lineage, conditions, restoration and present usage. Many of the homesteads are still linked to the 5th, 6th, and 7th generation descendants of the original land settlers. Well-researched, the clear text is woven throughout with enlightening facts. In Cape Kidnappers the shed was taken down, dismantled, then relocated elsewhere on the property. A flood in Chesterhope once took the lives of 6,000 sheep, and at massive Porangahau, as many as 4,000 sheep could be shorn in a day.

A recent airing of Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly highlighted the growing popularity of New Zealand as the latest “go to” place where expats are flocking to seek the good life and capture the new American Dream. Those considering such a venture, should find an informative and picturesque reveal in Gordon’s architectural pilgrimage that pays tribute to the historic woolsheds and hardworking sheep farmers that played such a major part in the design of New Zealand’s early heritage.