My friend Robin Smith, who now lives in Sydney, grew up on a sheep station in Canterbury called 'Waratah' It was owned by his father, an Australian, who had immigrated and spent some time as a member of New Zealand's legislative council.
Robin wanted to re-visit 'Waratah' so we went there in April 2010 when he was aged 83.
While looking round the old woolshed we came across these certificates both given for second prizes at showings of merino sheep in 1889 and 1894. The earlier of the two was 123 years old. Both of them were won by Frank Smith, Robin's father.
Robin was born in 1927, thirty-eight years after the first certificate was won.
The amazing thing was that these scraps of paper should have survived for so long; and the sobering thought was how old they made us both feel!
© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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