BEHIND THE SCENES

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29763, 5 March 1962, Page 19

BEHIND THE SCENES

Chairman of the Christchurch committee for shearing and wool handling, which is conducting the shearing and wool handling competitions at Canterbury Court this week, is Mr R. E. Hiatt, of Pahau Downs, Culverden. Mr Hiatt, who is current chairman of the meat and wool section of North Canterbury Federated Farmers, a vice-chairman of the province and North Canterbury representative on the Dominion meat and wool council of Federated Farmers, farms 5000 acres at Culverden. His property was formerly part of Montrose. From 1927, Mr Hiatt worked on the property for his father and after serving in Italy with the Army for two years during World War II he returned to take over the property. Some 300 acres were broken out of the native during his father’s time and since the war Mr Hiatt has brought in another 800 acres. A Corriedale flock of 5000. including 4000 ewes with replacements, is carried, and 40 acres of wheat are grown annually. Stock are wintered on choumoellier and turnips. A feature of the improvements on the property is a shearing shed built over a terrace and designed for ease and efficiency of shearing and woolhandling. A past-president of Amuri Federated Farmers. Mr Hiatt has followed in his father’s footsteps as a member of the executive of St. George’s Hospital.