Bonny Philips man on the land

Tu Tangata, Issue 4, 1 February 1982, Page 22

Bonny Philips man on the land

For Bonny Philips, farm manager on the 4400 hectare Tiroa E Block in the King Country, love of the land is only equalled by love of rugby.

He says the two pursuits never lose out to each other. This is borne out by the farm’s one hundred and five percent lambing rate, and on the other hand Bonney’s successful rugby trip to the United States last year to play for the Kiwi Veterans. Bonny plays for Bush United and is the club’s president. Bonny’s spent twenty three years developing and farming on the Tiroa Block, and after joining as a general shepherd, has risen to farm manager of the 1805 hectare Waipa sub-block.

Top quality The block runs ten thousand top quality romney ewes and last year produced seventy eight thousand kilos of wool. As well the beginnings of a deer herd have been established on land adjoining the ranges. As part of the main Tiroa E Block, the Waipa sub-block shares in the station’s overall nett value of five and a half million dollars, which has produced a annual dividend of one hundred thousand dollars in the last three seasons. For Bonny it’s been a challenge that

couldn’t be resisted. Brought up at Makomako near Raglan, Bonny took to the land at an early age getting his share of experience at shearing, fencing and sharemilking. He took on the job of general shepherd on the Tiroa block when he was 28. The block was then one thousand acres of grass grazing six thousand sheep with the rest of the land in bush and scrub. In 1962 Bonny was promoted to head shepherd. Harder life Life was harder in those days says Bonny with no electricity or telephone and petrol-powered hand shears. In 1969 when the main Tiroa block

was split up into two, Bonny was appointed farm manager over the Waipa sub-block of six thousand acres of grassland and eight thousand ewes. By careful farm management the Waipa sub-block was expanded to its present size and the present trustees of the land give the credit to Bonny. While developing the land, Bonny has raised a family of eight children with his wife Nellie. The eldest, Ronnie, is a radio announcer in Hamilton while the next son John, is following in his father’s footsteps and is head shepherd on the Waipa sub-block. The other children are Russell, Alec, Dolly, Mary, Betty and Kay.

Different ideas Son John went to Telford farming college and came back with some different ideas on running a farm, according to dad. Bonny says when he started farming it didn’t require much science to run the show, but that’s changed now. The local people speak well of Bonny and the way he has with animals. They also tell stories of his enthusiasm for rugby. One such story tells of Bonny breaking his jaw in a rugby match and being hospitalized for some weeks with a wired up mouth. Getting restless Bonny discharged himself from hospital and returned to the farm where shearing was in progress. Unfortunately he

slipped on the greasy shearing floor and put his jaw out again, necessitating a return visit to hospital. And then Bonny admits that his rugby trip to the States was partly financed by compensation money he received after breaking his arm in a club rugby match. With the expansion of the Tiroa E Block on the cards, it doesn’t look as Bonny will have the time for his rugby. He says he’s cutting down on the sport, but his track record and the gleam in his eye suggests otherwise.