Erol Foster

The Life Of A Shearer

Erol Foster was born in Weethalle 1940, and was the youngest of five children. At this time his brother was fighting the Japanese in World War II, life was hard at home during the War. Despite this, Erol started his education at Weethalle primary school in 1946. On the first day of primary school young Erol started off with a bang, he had been hit with the cane for urinating in the pot plant if front of a couple of female class mates. This was the day Erol decided he didn't quite enjoy school. After many long and eventful years of primary school, Erol then moved onto high school in West Wyalong, where he boarded away from home. After years of participating in many sports throughout high school Erol and his father decided
At first Erol decided he would become a carpenter after his grandfathers ambitions, however he met a few young men who's farther was a shearing contractor, from there on Erol started shearing. Erol was taught to shear by an ex shearer, Peter, who owned a farm. Peter taught Erol many life lessons to help him succeed, some of which he learnt early in his career. One day Erol was shearing young Merino sheep and said to Peter, “I’m having trouble holding on to these little bastards”. Peter then replied, “Erol you don't want to learn how to hold them, you want to know how to let them go! The more you do the more you earn”. Peter then further puzzled Erol by saying “Erol, shearing is easy”. Erol responded “How?” Peter said, “You make a little white mark, and it gets bigger and bigger then your finished”. This was the start of Erol’s very
Recently Erol was approached by an old friend, Swampy Marsh, who had returned to town with writing qualifications. Swampy wanted to write a book of Australia’s greatest shearing shed stories. Swampy Marsh took Erol to the Beckom hotel and shouted many hours worth of drinks while he recorded all of Erol’s stories. Shortly after some of Erol’s best stories were published in the ABC’s ‘Great Australian Shearing Stories’. Erol received a free copy of the book, and was surprised to only see a few of his many hours worth of stories. He contacted Swampy Marsh and asked what happened to all of his stories. Swampy then told him that his stories impressed the ABC so much that one day they want to turn them into a movie. Overall Erol managed to work very hard to raise and support a wife, six children, eleven horses, petrol for six motorbikes and managed to have enjoyable and lively