CALLAWADDA shearer Aaron Hemley didn’t vote in the Federal election last Saturday - he had his hands full.
But western Victorian residents voted for him with their hard-earned dollars as he set what is hoped would be recognised as a new world 48-hour endurance shearing record of 904 grown sheep.
Supporters backed the record attempt with donations expected to reach $100,000 and about $15,000 raised in an auction to benefit the Stawell Regional Health oncology unit.
Horsham policeman and co-organiser Les Power said the record attempt had brought western Victoria together. A committee had been working on the attempt since March this year.
“No longer are we Horsham or Stawell or Ararat – he and the people that worked with him have proven that we can all work together.
“This thing is about western Victorians and that hospital up there,” Mr Power said.
“People should just sit back now and say ‘Hang on a bit a bloody shearer did this with a committee’.
“He’s put his bloody hand up and said let’s do this and we’ve done it,” he said.
“We actually showed today what the people of western Victoria can actually do on their own.”
Motivated by the plight of relatives and friends affected by cancer, the 35-year-old shearer fought pain and tiredness to shear 905 grown sheep in 48 hours on a trailer beside Stawell’s Central Park.
He shore 261 sheep in his first eight hours and said determination kept him going despite getting just 45 minutes sleep.
Mr Hemley injured his right shoulder trying to push wool off big wet Merino ewes brought in when organisers feared he was going to run out of sheep, but local anaesthetic, massages and support from a 60-member team helped him exceed his initial aim of 800 sheep.
Only one shorn sheep was disallowed during the attempt, meaning organisers would seek recognition of his world 48-hour endurance shearing record for 904 grown sheep.
A big crowd joined in to the words of Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust”, ACDC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and John Mellencamp’s “Hurt So Good”, selected by fellow shearer of Big Brother fame Glenn Dallinger, as Mr Hemley shore his last sheep on Saturday night. It was a relief to finish, he said.
“I’ve been a long time waiting for it – 48 hours.
“We got through that was the main thing,” he said.
“It wasn’t just about me and the world record attempt.
“It had to be done.”
Stawell Regional Health fundraising committee co-ordinator Meg Blake said pledges and donations from “men and women on the street” could total $100,000 and a community auction conducted by Landmark raised about $15,000.
The “huge’ committee effort also had the support of Coca Cola and the Northern Grampians Shire, she said. The oncology unit appeal would continue until September 30.
Mr Power said he would now approach Member for Ripon and State Agriculture Minister Joe Helper to match the money raised during the record attempt.
“I challenge the Victorian Government to match this money.
“An election is coming up, the hospital needs the money and I will personally see Joe Helper and say ‘Show us how good you are as a government and match it for the hospital’,” Mr Power said.
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