Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Friday 23 July 1926, page 10


DEATH OF MR. T. GOODL

A Notable Sheepbreeder.

After having attained the ripe old age of 91 years, Mr. Thomas Goode. a former well-known figure in the pastoral industry, died at Peterborough in the early hours

ot Thursday morning. Mr. Goode was staying with. his son (Dr. Arthur Goode), and had been ailing for several weeks. It is on record that he played a pro-minent part in helping to build up the great reputation that this State gained for it's high-class sheep and wool. He was manager of Canowie Station for 35 years. The late Mr. Goode came to South Aus-tralia with his brothers in 1856 when a young man of 22. Since the age of 14 he had had practical experience with

THE LATE MR. THOMAS GOODE.

THE LATE MR. THOMAS GOODE.

stock. Five weeks after his arrival here he accepted an engagement at Canowie as a station hand. His first job was in the kitchen, and later he went out on the run for eight or nine months looking after cattle and lost sheep. He was then trans-ferred to the store, Eighteen months after Mr. Goode's arrival at Canowie the overseer left, and he was appointed to the position. This, was a stepping stone to manager, and when he assumed control he effected great alterations in the flock. In an interview with a representative of The Register on his ninetieth birth anni-versary Mr. Goode remarked that when he first saw the merino sheep he thought they were the most ill-shaped animals he had ever seen. They had no brisket, were all dipped behind the shoulders, and tucked in all round. Instead of having straight backs they fell away. He altered all that. Young sheep which had averaged from 5 lb. to 6 lb. of wool were in a few years cutting more than 10 lb. and 13 lb. The biggest clip Canowie had was the season when they shore up to 72,000 sheep. He had young rams cutting more than 20 lb. wool. There were about 5 per cent, of black lambs in nearly all the leading flocks, and he started to alter that also. The year they had 22,000 increase there were only 11 marked lambs among the whole lot. At one sale they topped the London market for wool. Canowie also topped the Adelaide market for wethers when there was no scarcity of mutton, the price having been 42/ a head. The quality of the wool on them was re-sponsible for the price. ' An Interesting Story. The late Mr. Goode attributed the suc-cess of the Canowie flock to the founda-tion laid by the use of Murray blood. His story is worth repeating:— 'I went to Mr. John Murray, of Mount Crawford, and said 'I want 17 of the best stud rams you have for sale'. Mr. Murray pointed out the cream of his rams, which he said he had bred for his own use. and told me that as I wanted 17 he would let me have them at seven guineas a head. I looked through a flock of about 80 in the pad-dock, and quickly picked out seven from among them. 'I suppose you have other rams,' remarked I to- Mr. Murray. 'Yes I have five magnificent flock rams, was the answer. I said, 'I will give you the same as I have given you for the others if you will give me the selection I want. We rode out, rounded up a mob. Some of the heavier-fleeced ones began to hang behind. I was wondering what I could do to get them mixed with, the others before we put them into the yard, when Mr. Murray remarked, 'If there are any hanging behind that you would like to come forward you are welcome to make them do so. We penned 30 rams, and I picked out another eight from these. Two years after this one of our new rams won a 50-guinea trophy at the Adelaide Show. John Murray, jun., came to me in excite-ment and asked me to come and have a look at the trophy ram. I consider that when he was quite a youth ho was the best judge I met on the ground. There was always a big demand for Canowie sheep. One year we sold up to £23,000 worth of flock rams. We took all the principal prizes at the Royal Show for many years. On one occasion we scored 22 out of a possible 32. with five cups, in one day. A prize was offered for 12 rams, and we got that.' The late Mr. Goode was one of the first to adopt the tipping of horns, a practice which extended throughout the Common-wealth. He was also the first man to obtain water on the Belalie Plain. After he left Canowie Station he was for nine years general manager for the late Mr. J. H. Angas, and improved the flock to the extent of breeding many prizewinners. Subsequently, in conjunction with his sons, Mr. Goode bred sheep at Mintadloo, near Farrell's Flat. Mr. and Mrs. Goode had a family of 11 children, and there survive a widow, who is a daughter of the late Rev. Matthew Wilson, a former pioneer missionary of Tonga; five daughters— Mes-dames Crawford Vaughan and W. F. Sim-mons (N.S.W.), Norman A. Smith (Adelaide), Fred Green (Brisbane), and R. K. Jenkins (Wirraminna Station), and six Sons — Dr. A. Goode (Peterborough) and Messrs. Cecil (Inspector of' Pastoral Leases). Clarence. A. P., T. M-. and M. C. Goode (Queensland). .