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In the 40s and 50s sheep shearers Godfrey and Ivan Bowen developed the 'Bowen Technique', an innovative method involving rhythmical sweeps of the handpiece. The legendary Godfrey was described in The Guardian as having arms that "flow with the grace of a Nureyev shaping up to an arabesque". Here he runs through the 'blows' (strokes) designed to achieve "maximum speed, quality work with a minimum of physical effort". From the days when, as the narration says, "wool [was] so important to New Zealand's posterity ... and to the warmth of the world!"
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Well, this was my father. How proud I am. He was always a visionary and creating something - hence it is easy to understand he formulated an easier style of shearing. He was a wonderful father as well, gave my brothers, sister and I such a 'positive' upbringing, which was full of 'can do' and love. Della
Wow it is so amazing to see this footage of my grandad! He was an amazing man. Thank you so much for having these videos so the younger generations can see them.
Thank you so much for preserving this video, and for making it available online. I was raised on a farm in the midwest USA in the same era as the video. Tho we did not raise sheep on our farm, some neighbors did, but I have never seen a sheep being sheered. So this was a real treat for me!
a lost treasure. thanks. Godrey Bowen was a visionary... and had communist tendencies, supposedly. Though I have never ever found his book about his travels to Russia.
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Television, 2005 (Full Length)
The long-running all-things-rural TV series
Television, 1992 (Full Length)
Another famous black singlet wearer
Television, 1984 (Full Length Episode)
Godfrey Bowen talks about Shearing Technique 25 years later
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The synopsis and credits are included
Glen Anderson
Posted at 08.55AM - 18.09.2010
Della, your father Godfrey worked with my father, Phil Anderson, when he toured the UK in 1960 and 1964.
I've just found some archive footage of the pair of them in Maidenhead UK in 1964. Quite emotional, my dad passed away in 1986 and it's strange to see him from a time before I was even born.