Ken Arnold was born in Launceston in 1946. At the age of 13 while still at school, Ken started working part time for the Busby family on their property at Doctors Rocks, Wynyard where they ran a fat lamb/mixed farming enterprise. The Busby’s obviously saw potential in this keen young man because they offered to send him to agricultural college in New Zealand to gain a Diploma in Agriculture. However, it meant staying on at school for another year and the young Ken just wanted to get out and start working and earning money for himself.
Ken on Miss Mousey in the Rushy Lagoon days, around 1967-8
Around the age of 15-16, Ken remembers really wanting to head to the Northern Territory to work on a station, but his father wouldn’t let him go. Instead, Ken’s early years of work involved two stints at the local abattoir as a drover and then slaughterman. However, Ken was far more interested in working on the land and jumped at an opportunity to work with his uncle at ‘Logan’, Evandale. According to Ken he was in his element, riding horses, working sheep dogs and shooting deer.
It was during Ken’s second stint at the abattoir in 1964 when he met Dianne. Dianne’s father also worked at the abattoir and discovered Ken liked fishing. He invited him to go fishing to the Great Lake where he had a shack at Sandbanks. On the way, their vehicle broke down and they had to be towed home. Ken was invited in for a cup of tea where he was immediately attracted to Dianne. During the following weeks he invented various excuses about helping repair the car just so he could see Dianne.
Ken then moved to northeast Tasmania near Gladstone to work on ‘Rushy Lagoon’, a 120,000-acre property owned by the British Tobacco Company. They ran 20,000 Polwarths and according to Ken it was the last of the horned Polwarths. It was during this time that Ken and Di married in 1967. Their first home together was on an isolated part of the property where the only power was a diesel generator which provided limited supply. Di washed their clothes outside in a kerosene drum over an open fire. Ken and Di had some real pioneering experiences at Rushy Lagoon, however once their first child was on the way it was time to search out employment which was not so isolated.
Ken and Di returned to the midlands where Ken found work with D.K. Cameron at ‘Fassiefern’, Tunbridge who ran Superfine Merinos. One of Ken’s main memories from this time was droving 3000-4000 wethers up to the lake country in a trip which took three days. At the end of each day, the wethers were held overnight in a secure accommodation paddock and the shepherds camped out with them.
Ken Arnold judging at the Wanaka Show in New Zealand
From ‘Fassiefern’, Ken and Di moved to ‘Connorville’ at Cressy where Ken was employed as sheep overseer. He was required to keep the monthly records, a responsibility he enjoyed. Early in his employment, Ken wanted to check out the young rams, but nobody could tell him where they were. When Ken found them, they were extremely dirty and lacking condition. Ken got them in, cleaned them up and then asked if he could take over the stud. For the next seven years, he was responsible for the resurgence of the Merino stud there. He started showing the sheep at the Campbell Town Show and proudly won Reserve Champion Superfine one year. ‘Connorville’ also ran cattle and Ken remembers marking 2800 calves one season.
In 1978, Ken and Di moved to ‘Formosa Estate’ where they lived for the next 12 years until 1990. At ‘Formosa’, Ken enjoyed a remarkable working relationship with G.L. Lawrence who was a wonderful mentor and teacher. As there was no modern technology in those days, the extensive stud records were entered by hand in leather-bound stud registers. There is much to be said for these archaic methods as many outstanding stud sheep pedigrees are indelibly printed on Ken’s mind. He can recall the genetics of a ram that has long since passed on.
It was during this period at ‘Formosa’ that Ken was one of a few people invited to receive wool from all over the world for the World Sheep and Wool Congress held in Launceston. After witnessing first-hand, the appalling state of some overseas samples, Ken decided to do his Wool Classing Certificate. For the next 3-4 years, Ken attended two four-hour classes each week at the Launceston TAFE: practical was Saturday mornings and theory Wednesday nights. Ken recalls not so fondly, sorting many bales of pieces on Saturday mornings and on Wednesday nights, having to take his theory home because he was not as quick thinking as the other younger participants. However, his conscientiousness paid off as he won an award for dux of the class in his final year!
Sadly, G.L. Lawrence passed away in 1984. Ken continued to run the property for quite a while until relatives stepped in. Ken was invited to apply for the position of manager but was knocked back on two separate occasions. Further to this, Ken was then asked to train the new managers and pass on his knowledge of the property and sheep. Naturally, the situation became untenable for Ken and Di and they moved on to ‘Williamwood’ at Ross. Many years later, Mrs Lawrence then in her nineties told Ken, if it had been her decision Ken would have been made manager at Formosa. Ken remembers one of his saddest days, was seeing others make the decision to dispose of the Polwarth flock.
‘Williamwood’ was a Merino property of some 8000 acres. On arrival, Ken found most of the flock were lousy, hence a solid workload ensued to clean them up. The property ran a big AI program and Ken remembers inseminating 2500 ewes in a week. According to Ken, lambing was chaotic! He also went on to win an award with wether flock trials during this time.
While working at Formosa Ken met Martin Paterson from NZ and when ‘Williamwood’ went into receivership in 1991, Martin invited Ken and Di to his property ‘Matakanui’ with the view to working there as stud master. Ken and Di decided not to take the position as they had aging parents and family to consider.
In 2010, Ken won the prestigious Bruce Forster/Laincot Memorial Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the stud sheep industry. The award was presented at the Campbell Town Show and was particularly special for Ken as he and the late Bruce Forster both began their sheep classing careers in New Zealand in 1992.
All was not lost as Martin engaged Ken to travel over each year to class the stud. This continued for 25 years! It was a red-letter day when Ken helped Martin select sheep from the ‘Rockthorpe’ Polwarth stud that were loaded onto an aircraft in Launceston and flown to NZ.
Ken had another five clients on his New Zealand classing run including:
- Mt Ross – Ian & Jill Bagley (Polwarth)
- Sandhurst – Andy & jenny Smith (Polwarth)
- Mt Carmel – John Oswald (Polwarth)
- Kennethmont – Alistair & Janine Bremner (Polwarth)
- Matarae Station - Ron and Juliette Jones (Superfine Merinos)
Over time, all properties were sold and changed direction under their new ownership.
Back in Tasmania, Ken became overseer at ‘Rokeby’ (sister stud to Williamwood) in 1992. It was to become a 17-year happy tenure. ‘Rokeby’ was riding high with success on the show circuits. Ram sale days were quite an event for both Ken and Di. The shearing shed and surrounds were meticulously prepared, as were the sheep. Di would do flower arrangements for the table then get up very early the morning of the sale and make 5kg flour into scones!
While at ‘Rokeby’ Ken put on an annual showcase for visiting Japanese suit manufacturers, demonstrating shearing, working the sheep dogs and providing encounters with live sheep. Ken recalls the Japanese visitors were impeccably dressed in suits made from superfine wool, however they had absolutely no idea about sheep or wool.
In 2001 at the age of 66, Ken and Di accepted an offer from the Taylor family to move to ‘St Johnstone’, Campbell Town where Ken worked with Gilbert Taylor in a semi-retired position on their medium Merino stud.
Around 2014 they moved to their current home in Scottsdale in northeast Tasmania. Ken continued working at ‘St Johnstone’ and classing the following Polwarth studs in Tasmania and Victoria:
- Streanshalh, TAS for four years following the passing of Andrew Nicolson
- Homeleigh, VIC – Geoff Kemp from 2011-2015
- Moorabbee, VIC - Peter English 2016–2017
- Tarndwarncoort, VIC – Alistair Dennis 2020-2021
- Fairview, VIC - Greg and Kaye Potter 2012–2022
One of the highlights of Ken’s career was the invitation to judge in Uruguay in August 2005. Ken had been classing at Matakanui for 5-6 years when two young Uruguayan brothers (Joaquin and Fernando Martinicorena) visited New Zealand. They were keen for Ken to show them the finer points of classing sheep. Following their visit, Ken was invited to judge at the Uruguay Centenary Show in Montevideo where they subsequently paid all his expenses. According to Ken, it was a great experience. Despite the language barrier they were incredibly hospitable and generous with their time!
2005 - Uruguay Centenary Show, Montevideo, Uruguay
Ken pictured 5th from left was invited to judge
In 2010, Ken won the prestigious Bruce Forster/Laincot Memorial Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the stud sheep industry. The award was presented at the Campbell Town Show and was particularly special for Ken as he and the late Bruce Forster both began their sheep classing careers in New Zealand in 1992.
Another highlight for Ken was an invitation from the wool board in 2012 to meet the Prince of Wales and be the person to introduce other notable people from the local area.
In 2012, Ken was awarded Life Membership of the Polwarth Sheep Breeders Association of Australia. Ken has actively supported the association in recent years at meetings and shows and generously classed individual flocks and mentored breeders. At the ASWS in Bendigo, there was nothing better than to see Ken having a yarn with all manner of people once the formalities were over. On more than one occasion with a glint in his eye, Ken was known to pick the Supreme Champion Polwarth well before judging had even started.
2011 – Australian Sheep and Wool Show
Supreme Champion Polwarth ram exhibited by Andrew Nicolson from Rendlesham (Streanshalh) and held by Peter Baker
Pictured L to R: Judge, Martin Paterson from NZ, Ken Arnold, Hillary Paterson and Andrew Nicolson.
Ken and Dianne Arnold
A fine partnership – 57 years and counting
In 2024 at the age of 78, Ken has retired from all but one of his classing clients where he still heads down to ‘St Johnstone’ to class Gilbert’s hogget ewes. He maintains he has slowed down but I’m not so sure as he works part time at a local vineyard, helps his brother in his motor mower/chainsaw shop and finds time for singing and art classes as well as working in the garden.
Many Polwarth and Merino breeders in Tasmania, Victoria and New Zealand have benefited from Ken’s broad experience, hard work, lifelong interest, passion, care, dedication, generosity and expert eye. Ken retires from the industry having made many acquaintances and friendships because of his friendly personality, sense of humour, entertaining stories and highly respected reputation.
