Determined Dave kept pushing the limits

A Southern Brook farming couple who raised seven children were proud their daughter’s six brothers all decided to take up the shearing handpiece. One of Vern and Meg Lawrence offspring would become WA’s fourth inductee into the Australian Shearers Hall of Fame, in 2019. In accepting the prestigious award at Hay in NSW, David Lawrence said he was honoured to be recognised among Australia’s greatest shearers. “I shore alongside many of the greats and took up a stand in many iconic woolsheds,” he said. He recalled his early years and the inspirational yarns told about travelling and working in wool sheds across Australia. At the age of 15, in 1974, David began his storied shearing career as a shedhand, helping his older brothers Kevin and Allen. It only took him one year to catch up and he proudly took a stand alongside his siblings. In 1976, alongside brothers Noel, Kevin and Allen, David was part of a 24-hour Guinness world record, the team of four shearing 1019 sheep to raise money for Telethon. This set David up towards a career drive that led to his own individual Guinness record in 1994 for shearing 563 Merino lambs in one day. At 19, David joined a Morawa contracting team followed by a few years in the Kojonup area with off-season days devoted to farmhand work. Reaching a milestone, he won his first open shearing title at the 1978 Dinninup Agricultural Show. Giving credit to career breaks, David took up a full-time management position for a 150-sow piggery at Tambellup for three years. While food production was found rewarding, David’s true calling brought him back to life inside woolsheds and a second place in the open title at the 1982 Kojonup Agricultural show. “This inspired me to pursue my competitive nature further and for 13 years, I hardly missed an opportunity,” he said. In 1983, with the introduction of the wide combs, David had to adapt his craft and learn a new way to shear. “We had to modify our gear for everyday shearing by thinning our combs,” he said. Meanwhile, his daily shearing tallies climbed. “Having shorn more than 250 per day with narrow gear and reaching 300, I kept pushing on for bigger numbers,” he said. This set up big wins including the open win at the 1984 Perth Royal Show followed by the 1985 open (gun title) at the Ongerup Shears. David won the 1985 Sunbeam Champion of Champions, a culmination of points from all shows in WA that year ending at the Wanneroo Show. His next venture was buying a Wagin shearing contracting run while making an entry into the shearing judging arena but still having a go at open titles. He excelled at major shows including the 1988 World Shears, at Masterton, New Zealand, placing sixth as part of the WA team. At the 1988 Agricultural Winter Fair in Canada he placed first in the Invitation World event. Wins followed at the Diamond Shears State of Origin in Longreach, the Victorian Shearer of the Year, at Kyneton and many others in Australia and New Zealand. In 1990 David took up a position at Greenough Regional Prison as an officer for a few years, while continuing to judge shows. David is currently head judge for the Sports Shear Australia Association which takes him to all parts of the country. He was selected as the Australian Shearing Judge for the 2017 World Titles at Invercargill, New Zealand. “I have shorn in all states of Australia and currently follow the seasons around,” he said. “I have the best of both worlds travelling Australia and still shearing and enjoy visiting or working in many of the big old sheds around Australia.” “It’s been an honour to be recognized amongst Australia’s greatest shearers.” David’s yearly shorn totals now exceed 35,000 head and his lifetime tally would be reaching 1.1 million. “It’s a tough game and I believe I've been lucky health wise, my back is holding up well without too many aches,” he said. “The couple of breaks from shearing assisted me to keep going. “I have seen many talented shearers coming through the industry. “Success comes with discipline, dedication and hard work in which to achieve those important goals.” David said the industry was very competitive and when the going gets tough, the greats push on.