Tracking Shots
Flashbacks: New Zealand History on Film
The World's Fastest Shearer: Walter Godfrey Bowen (1922-1994)
On 6 January 1953, Godfrey Bowen broke the world record for sheep shearing – 456 full-wool sheep in nine hours.
A world champion shearer, author and entrepreneur, Bowen not only revolutionised shearing techniques, he gave a shearing demonstration at Buckingham Palace, appeared on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and was invested with the top Soviet honours by Premier Nikita Khurwschev.
Described as having the grace of Nureyev, Bowen with his brother Ivan, developed the Bowen Technique that changed shearing practice internationally.
Ivan Bowen celebrated his 90th birthday in March 2006 by giving a shearing demonstration. His time of 2.41 minutes is thought to be a world record for the oldest shearer.
Please note: These videos are in the QuickTime format. You will need to have the QuickTime player installed in order to view these files.
