Sunday Too Far Away (1975) Movie Script
Well!
G'day Ivy.
You're on holidays, I suppose.
On the way to the shed.
You were never, ever coming back.
Look at him.
When I was a learner old Garth was top dog.
Best bloody shearer.
Should get his shit together,
the old bastard
Someone should shoot the lot of them
I'll drink to that
How was Brisbane?
Alright
Just alright?
Good
What'd you do up there?
Played up.
Got among the ladies.
Afternoon!
I'm..looking for Mr. King.
Mr. King?
Yeah!
I'm Michael Simpson.
Yeah?
The rousabout. I wrote to you.
Yeah?
Yes, Ivy.
Jesus! Look. I'll be right over right?
Ivy?
Ivy? Put a leg rope on him
I've come back,
but I'm not gonna bust ma gut.
I'm gonna shear nice and steady.
150 a day.
Ease up on the grog...
put a little bit away..
put a lot away!
And I reckon in four years,
I can have enough, to go down the coast,
buy myself a calling card.
Whadaya think of that?
Very commendable.
Don't ya believe me?
Mmm
Foley!
Didn't Johnny Russel ring
Aramak Downs in '51
Was I there?
Johnny says you were.
If I was there, nobody beat me.
D'you mean you rung every
shed you worked at in '51
'S right
Every shed in the last ten years.
That's stretching it a bit far.
Don't remember meeting you.
My name's Franky Davis.
Well, Frank, I don't recall that particular shed,
who said I was there?
Johnny Russell.
I was drinking with him last week.
Do you know him?
Mmm.
Well, he says you were there,
and he beat you.
but only by a whisker.
Well fancy that...
now here's a man who doesn't remember being at a shed,
but he remembers ringing it.
Not bad, eh?
If I was there, I rung it.
Oh, shit!
I was at Aramak Downs in '51
So was Foley.
Yeah, so was Johnny Russell.
Who are you?
Franky Davis, from Aramak.
I just trucked some stock over.
Who do you reckon rung that shed?
Foley of course.
You're Foley's mate!
Yeah, that's right.
You say you trucked some stock over.
Is it your own truck?
Yeah, why?
Ivy...
You could make yourself some money here Frank.
Look, here's ..two hundred quid,
I'll pay for the call,
Ivy, you can call the cocky at Aramak
Ask him to look up his books
for 1951
We wanna know who rung the shed.
Was it Foley, or Johnny Russell?
Right.
Aw, if you can't match that Frank,
just drop your truck keys on it.
Sure I was it?
Certainly.
Eighty quid!
I'll have a hundred on it meself too
Easy money!
Keys!
Johnny could have been spinning me a tale of course.
Look, either drop your truck keys on it,
or piss off back to Aramak.
Hey!
I'm no gun shearer
and I got a better talent
than Johnny at Aramak Downs that year
the only fast thing about Johnny is his mouth.
Foley would have the sheep shorn before Johnny
could remove the fuzz from his own arsehole.
Good to see ya.
Stupid prick!
It's not funny.
Oh, I know it's not funny mate.
And I am really sorry, but I can't help you.
Oh, it's not your fault.
Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?
Now how the hell was I to know
you were setting up as a shearing contractor?
not bloody psychic.
Cost us a fortune in grog, since inviting you.
What, do you want a refund?
How did Trevor Burke get on to you?
He wrote to me when I decided to give the fish market the arse.
Trevor Burke!
Treats his shearers something terrible.
I wouldn't work for him.
You've shorn for him.
I wouldn't now.
I may as well cut me throat.
Hey, Luigi!
One sharp knife mate.
Yeah, I'll use it too.
Look, Tim..
When I've done the shed for Burke,
I'll do one for you.
Fair enough?
You really think I'll still be in business?
Come Monday I'll be a laughing stock.
You've only got yourself to blame mate.
Christ, you go contract a shed
and you haven't even got bloody shearers.
I was fussy, that's all.
I wanted the best.
Look, I know you can't break contracts,
and I wouldn't ask you to.
You're right!
I can't break contracts.
Thanks mate.
Hey, look!
No worries.
Get stuffed!
Thanks mate.
Hey Foley!
What the bloody hell are you doing here?
Tommy West!
Where's your mad Pommy mate?
Thanks Luv.
What about Foley then?
Heh heh, yeah.
He's not back shearing?
He'd be a weak bastard.
Poor old Tim.
Giving me the shits.
Oh, poor bugger. You gotta feel sorry for him.
I've felt all the sorrow I'm gonna feel.
Now he's giving me the shits.
He's always wanted to be a shearing contractor.
He's been talking about it for years.
Yeah, well now he's giving me the shits.
Ease up.
Thanks mate.
How long's your shed going to last mate?
Oh, 6 to 7...
Days!
Six or seven days?
What is it just a short one?
That's right.
Oh, I had the idea it was going to run for weeks.
Oh no..
Well what the hell are you worrying about?
Me and badger don't start for another ten days.
We can help you out.
Course at the end, you know,
you'll have to transport us across to our shed.
Oh if it's too much trouble...
I'm just trying to help you out.
Oh no...
no trouble.
You can run them over, can't you Tim.
Yeah, sure.
Well what about you Foley? Why don't you help Tim out?
You don't start for another seven days.
Yeah, why not?
Yeah, stuck.
Orright, you got seven blokes.
Only need one more.
The gate!
Oh!
Come on!
Will I close it now Mr. King?
Course you'll bloody close it.
Would you mind telling me where I am?
You're on your way to a shed.
I see.
Why should I be on my way to a shed with you Tim?
Don't you remember?
No!
Wake up Foley!
I'm awake.
Don't you remember last night
begging Tim for a stand at this shed?
I do not.
Well you did.
You got down on your knees and cried,
didn't he Foley?
Tim, would you turn around and take me back?
As you know, I have a shed, and I start tomorrow.
Well, they'll think you couldn't stay
off the grog long enough to get out of town.
What are you doing now?
Going back.
Ah, where's your sense of humour?
You and Baz were also blackbirded,
it's a six week shed, not six days.
You rotten bastard!
It's me own fault.
Bloody mad with the grog.
You can't break contracts like that.
Christ no!
I was looking forward to seeing Ugly too.
Was Ugly going to be there? Oh, bloody hell.
You do have rum?
Ah, stuff it!
She's a ball tearer of a day.
Yes.
Does it come up to regulations?
It does.
It's not bad.
Hey Tim?
Better loosen that rum you've got mate.
Yeah.
Oh, Mr. King?
Oh, ah, where will I sleep?
Any bed, last couple of rooms.
Hey Tim?
What?
What are doin'? Playin' with your doodle in there?
Better get that bottle of rum out here.
Good quarters.
Terrific.
Cocky's a bit of a wowser, they tell me.
Is he?
Look, I just wanna say something.
I'm pretty new at this contracting business.
Too bloody right you are.
Well, there's one thing I know,
a good recommendation is everything.
So we don't want to do the wrong thing.
Like for example, getting pissed.
and too crook to start work tomorrow.
Right?
Why?
Now you're going to find it tough enough,
not having shore for five months
You too Garth.
Why?
Important thing is, we don't upset the cocky.
Hey Tim?
Better winkle out another bottle mat.
Might need it.
Ugly! Ya piss weak poop.
G'day Barry.
How are you Barry?
Not bad.
Wadaya want? Chocolate milkshake, or vanilla?
Very funny.
Good to see you Garth.
Yeah, nice to see you too Ugly.
Who rung your shed?
Eh? Ah, Teddy Smith.
Averaged 217.
Bastard wasn't trying.
Unpleasant little bugger that Teddy?
First shed he's rung in his life
Now he's walking around like his shit doesnt'stink.
How'd you go, anyway?
Averaged 203
Oh, come off it!
Bloody did. And rough sheep they were too,
I'm telling you.
Eh, was they New Zealand sheep, perhaps.
(laughter)
Don't you pick on me Garth.
You're a gentleman. Not like this riff raff here.
Give us a lash at that bottle here, will ya.
Arthur Black.
Foley. You heard of him?
Garth...Ugly...
Tom West, Basher Grant
Where's Berry?
In his room.
Hey Barry!
Yeah?
Arthur Black from New South Wales.
G'day.
Hello.
You'll bunk anywhere you can find space.
Black Arthur, more like it.
Next room!
Just..ah.. what's your name son?
Jim.
Jim the learner.
Hello.
And how old are you James?
Twenty.
How many sheep have you shorn?
Five thousand.
Well, when you've shorn another five thousand,
you can call yourself a shearer.
That right?
That'll be the cook.
Oh yeah, who is the poisoner?
Quin!
Who?
Bloke named Quin.
Look Tim, we pay the cook.
We got a right to a good one.
Well he's a goodun.
Anybody hear of a poisoner Quin?
You hear all that silence Tim?
Hey, you remember that cook we had to get rid of
on that property near Jericho in '52?
You know, he had, he had one arm.
Oh Christ yes!
Never heard of a one armed cook.
Oh, he didn't last long.
We had to get rid of him. (laughs)
Couldn't he cook?
Eh? Yeah, he was a good cook, wasn't he?
Mmm!
Meat balls. That was his specialty.
Rissoles. Beautiful rissoles. Best I've ever tasted.
Till we caught him. Then we had to get rid of him.
Doing what?
Well, he had all the stuff there, you know..
the meat, the onions,
and whatever other secret ingredients he had,
because they were beautiful rissoles..
and he'd pick up a lump of the stuff and he'd go..
(laughter)
He'd knock off one about every two seconds.
and it was ...it was a hotter day than today too.
we kept...we kept on finding his hairs in the bloody rissoles,
and we thought they were from his head.
That Quin?
Yeah.
Big bastard, isn't he.
G'day.
How many bottles of lemon essence have you ordered?
Half a dozen.
Well I ordered six bloody dozen.
You sure? I got the list.
I haven't got it. Anyway, come and meet the shearers.
If he can't cook, he's going to be a fair cow to get rid of.
Yeah.
Bloke's bound to get cranky,
travelling on a hot day like this.
Lemon essence man, is he?
What would he do with six dozen bottles
of essence of lemon?
Tell him, Tim.
What would he do with six dozen bottles of lemon essence?
Arg..er..could I have a bit more of that please mate.
Wake up, you bastard.
'Spose we better elect a rep.
'Spose.
Meeting!
Ah, who's gonna be the rep?
Anyone want to?
'Bout you Foley?
Oh no mate. Let someone else do it.
C'mon. All those in favour?
Those against?
Shit!
Foley!
The cocky..er Mr....er, the owner of the property,
wants to have a talk to you.
Morning.
I'm Mr. Dawson.
the owner of Timbaroo.
Mr. King assures me that I got before me,
as good a bunch of shearers as I'm likely to get.
I'm very pleased about that.
Now you'll be doing the rams, first up today.
My reason for talking to you
is to say that Timbaroo is a stud property.
One of those rams in there,
won first prize at the Royal Show last year.
We paid for him, ten thousand guineas.
and most of my others are worth
half that and more at auction.
We all know how easy it is for a money hungry
shearer to incapacitate a ram,
consequently, instead of the usual double rate,
I've decided to pay double plus a half.
What Mr. Dawson's saying is
these rams are worth a quid,so be careful
with their pissels and be careful with their nackas
Mr. King,
the learner will not shear the rams.
No, of course not.
Careful!
Let him up!
Let him up?! I just got the bastard down!
Let him rest!
I want a meeting!
What about?
The cocky.
Right.
What about him?
He's driving us up the wall.
Hey, cut it out! You're a contractor now.
What do you wanna do?
Men have had a vote!
They voted to ban him.
The cocky?
Yep.
From his own shed?
He's driving us mad.
If he carries on running up and down like a headless chook
the place'll be ankle deep in pedigree balls.
Anyway, that's the vote.
Wait a minute...
What am I going to tell him?
Tell him to go home, put his feet up
and count his money.
Oh Mr. Dawson...
Take it easy you old bastard.
And yourself.
Been away from it too long?
yeah.
You see the cocky?
Bastard!
Bastard!
Tar pissel!
Hey!
What'd you do to that ram?
Mr. Dawson!
Mr. Dawson?
Mr. Dawson.
I think that shearer was having a joke with you.
Take your water bag.
You alright?
How's Garth?
Orright.
Oh, there's a letter from Mum.
On the mantlepiece.
What's she say?
Nothing much.
How'd the first day go?
I'd forgotten what scum they are.
I saw one of them this afternoon.
An old shearer.
Outside the shed on his hands and knees.
Yeah, the bloody contractor.
By God they need taking down a peg or two.
The bonus of ten percent was introduced last year
with the slump in prices this year,
Is it any good?
Pig's food
How you feeling this morning?
Better tar 'im up son.
Get out of it!
Son, you wrote me you'd shore five thousand sheep.
You haven't done five.
What were you? A rousy?
Pack your things and get out.
Tell the kid how you got your first shed Tim.
Lied to the contractor, like the rest of us.
Take your time, and don't cut 'em to pieces.
Thanks Mr. King.
We gotta do something about the cook.
He's gettin' worse.
What do reckon he's put on these sandwiches?
Ah, they're not bad.
Bullshit!
Right!
How long you been shearing?
Twenty years.
Bit more.
Where abouts?
Western New South Wales, Queensland.
All over, really.
First shed in this area, funnily enough.
Ah, I'm buggered now.
Used to be able to go once.
But I'm buggered now.
There's a good one for ya.
Aah!
Well waddaya know.
Berry sheared exactly one forty.
Hey Tim, I think you made a mistake with the last one mate.
One fifty nine, that's right.
No, two above that.
What Arthur? One eighty nine. Same as Foley.
Tim!
Well the men have had a vote.
Quin goes.
You can tell him tonight at tea.
Tomorrow's Saturdy. You can be back by Mondy with a new cook.
It's good.
No, it really is. Try it.
He probably heard the whisper that you blokes were unhappy
about the food. So he's made an extra effort tonight.
Oh come on! At least try it.
The men had a meeting..
'Spose we better have another meeting.
Why me?
Eh, you're the rep.
What?
Yeah, ah, I'm just picturing that Quin.
He, he's a fair level of fella, isn't he?
Yeah, I've seen you go, and you're good son,
but, ah, I, I don't think you'd beat that Quin in a straight fight.
Listen, if he was fighting clean and I was fighting dirty,
I still couldn't beat the bastard.
Yes.
It's a pity Tim didn't supply Quin
with more of that essence of lemon.
Why?
Well it seems to me, that Quin with lemon essence,
would be an easier prospect than Quin without lemon essence.
Mail truck tomorrow.
Mail truck tomorrow.
Mail truck tomorrow
What time?
About half past six.
And what...
I'm a shearer.
Yes I know. I've seen you.
What have you taken?
Essence of lemon.
A few bottles of essence of lemon.
Why essence of lemon?
To get rid of the cook.
He drinks it. It's mostly alcohol.
I'm not a thief.
You're a good imitation of one.
I left the money.
On the shelf
Thank you.
I'd like to watch the shearing.
Sorry luv, there's no women allowed in the shed.
If I call my father, you'll be off the property.
What's the matter with the cook?
His cooking.
Hey Quin!
Come here.
This breakfast...(spits)..tastes like roast turd.
That sure is a lot of mail.
Just one of the blokes loading it.
You got the mail on there yet?
Just about.
Nah!
Yeah, I tell you, that Quin..
meanest bugger I ever met.
Yeah, you never were much of a knuckle man Tim.
No, if I see him on the tracks, I'll stop and give him a lift.
Same as I would anyone else.
If he turns nasty, I'll flatten him.
Righto!
You're a brave man Harry.
You have to be, on this job.
See ya Tim.
Oright?
Mr. King'll be down to see you as soon as he can.
Hello there. You could do with a nice wash.
Wentworth, you're a sight for sore eyes.
And how's the ah....
Noddy.
How's Noddy behaving himself?
Well of course we've just met,
but I think we'll get along very well together.
That's great.
Ducks on the pond!
Ducks on the pond!
Good morning.
Meeting.
She claims we owe her a favour.
You invited her.
No.
You invited her.
She invited herself.
What favour?
I told ya!
She turned a blind eye about the lemon essence.
Will you, leave please, Miss Dawson?
No.
The men are having a meeting.
You're allowed to watch one run.
That all right by you?
Yes, of course.
Morning Al, how about a hair cut.
Stay still, and we'll knock some of the wool off you.
C'mon!
Turn it up!
Put your knee in!
Thank you.
It's Saturdy
Enough!
Will you turn off the bloody light!
shouldn't be long now before the starter presses
Approaching the ten furlongs point and
and still battling.....
from Sibling Eton and Tom Soul
then comes Free Max, moving forward now
and they're being followed up then by
Free Max,
C'mon, hit 'im. Hold your ground.
Hold your ground. Hit 'im.
Oof, oof,
In the stomach. In the stomach.
Ya got him now. Get 'im down again.
get him down. C'mon, get 'im down again.
Oh, beauty.
That's enough.
Hoad is now seeded number two
in the New South Wales tennis championship
How long we been here?
About four weeks.
More like four fucking years.
Pig's arse!
Ow!
They're not clean.
Yes they are!
There's dirt on the leg.
That's not dirt, that's a stain. It's been there for years.
You gonna be long with the light?
No.
Nope.
Today, is my wedding anniversary.
You mean to tell me you're married?
Yeah, I've got a son.
He be..ah..oh, he'd be twenty now.
Is he a shearer?
Well, I brought him up when he was fifteen,
he spent one day.
heh, he shot through.
Caught the train back to his mother.
First I heard of you being married.
Wife worked it out one day,
I spent with her, three years in twenty one
Three years all told.
That's shearing for you, Foley.
Where's your boy now?
Well..I heard last year, he'd gone down to Sydney
working at window dressin' or somethin'
Yeah..I went down to Sydney, spent a whole month there.
Hah, by crikey Foley, there's an awful lot
of shop windows in Sydney.
D'ya find him?
Eh?
Nope.
Don't forget to turn out the light.
What time is it?
It's Sunday!
I'm jack of you mate!
What's wrong?
You're a bloody alcoholic!
You don't mean that.
Hopeless old drunk! Fuckin' piss pot!
Aww..I have a few drinks. Like any shearer.
You don't mean that.
You've always been a very good friend of mine Foley.
Bloody Sunday!
Yeah.
Not too long to cut out.
Well...Tim reckons..ah.. next Tuesday or Wednesday
Yeah.
Think I'll go and take a look at..ah..tomorrow's sheep.
Right.
Comin'?
Mmm?
Goin' over to take a look at tomorrow's sheep.
I'll just..carry on with my letter.
What's the matter with you Berry?
Waddaya mean what's the matter with me?
There's nothing the matter with me.
Are ya queer, or somethin'?
I'm not queer.
You're always writing letters.
Who do you write letters to?
My wife.
God, bugger me!
What the bloody hell's wrong with you?
Hey!
Go fetch old Garth, will ya.
Finish the one you're on, then we'll call it a day.
Old Garth's dead.
Good morning.
My father wants to know whether you'll be
resuming work this afternoon or tomorrow.
Bloody tomorrow!
Put him in the back on the canvas.
Slide him in, that's the way.
Where's the proper vehicle?
Oh, in use. Old Mrs. Taylor's got the use of it today.
Couldn't you get another one?
Oh yeah, from Smithfield,
I've got an arrangement there.
But it'd cost you fifty quid, all this way.
Well, why didn't ya?
What, for Old Garth?! Heh.
If it'd been for the fuckin' cocky, youd've done it!
Yeah, well, too right. But then I'd known
I'd get paid for it.
But don't worry, he won't feel no bumps.
Hey!
Now if I hear, that on the way into town,
Old Garth found his way into the back again,
I'll come looking for you.
Right!?
I remember walkin' away from the orphanage every Saturday.
Every Saturday down the railway line.
The line took me to town.
I remember when I was twenty,
in Brisbane,
down from the shearing,
going into the bar of the toughest pub,
and the toughest man in the bar,
Jacky Sorehnson,
huh, big bloke Jacky,
wharfy,
sent me over a beer.
And he gave me a nod of respect,
and I was twenty.
and a shearer.
I was a gun shearer.
Last day, thank Christ.
Yeah.
just out of here any day now.
Hey!
You been here all night?
Na.
Got here early.
Couldn't sleep.
Bloody room too hot.
Be in town tonight!
With a bit of luck.
You better pull your socks up boy.
Or stop muckin' about.
Haven't you been trying?
Oh, you cunning prick!
What's this then?
I dunno.
What's this?
You know I saw a bloke do this once,
in a shed in Victoria.
Well I've never seen it, and I'm not sure it's allowed.
Oh well, it's allowed in Victoria.
What's the idea of it?
Oh, the idea is he doesn't have to switch off between sheep.
The cookin' oil stops it from burning out.
That wouldn't save you much.
Save you some.
Well, 'spose we could have a meeting about it.
See if it's allowed.
I don't give a stuff.
Sure? No trouble to hold a meeting.
Nah! Stuff it!
Hey, I've got some news for you blokes.
Tim tells me the court's just ruled on the prosperity bonus.
And...
We've lost it.
Better hang on to your pennies,
I think there's going to be a bit of strife.
Any shed in the last ten years,
if I was there, nobody beat me.
'S right. Any shed in the last ten years...
...shed in the last ten years...
if I was there, nobody beat me.
'S right, every shed in the last ten years.
'S right...ten years...
Sheep-o
I'm faster on cross breeds.
So am I mate.
It's yours, it's yours.
Right.
Sevens for me. Sevens.
On the over....Sevens...Sevens
You bastard! (shouting)
Pay over, pay over..
Yeah, go!
All right. No more bets.
Forget it!
Place your bets, place you bets.
Stupid poop. How much did you lose?
The lot.
You know we're...odds on to strike, don't you?
How much did you lose?
Oh, only a couple a hundred.
Listen, Tim's getting a bit wobbly round the knees about all this.
He reckons we should cop what the court says.
Otherwise they'll bring in scab labour.
There's been trouble up north already.
What do you think?
I don't.
All I know is here I am again,
with the arse out of me tweeds,
Why don't you ask your mate, Black Arthur?
He's gone.
And I'm going too.
You know where I'm going? Back to the fish market.
Now why don't you piss off,
and annoy some other bugger
Hello Foley!
Franky Davis, remember?
I hear you got done.
Now we'd appreciate it if you all
went back where you came from.
I'd hate you to think you got us out numbered.
The town's chocablock full of stinkin' shearers,
on strike!
We're just the welcoming committee.
You're scabs!
That's what you are.
You're the lowest form of life.
Well, that was piss weak.
We got company!
Beer for thirty, there abouts.
Stuff 'em Ivy.
Don't wreck the place.
I don't serve scabs.
G'day Ivy.
You're on holidays, I suppose.
On the way to the shed.
You were never, ever coming back.
Look at him.
When I was a learner old Garth was top dog.
Best bloody shearer.
Should get his shit together,
the old bastard
Someone should shoot the lot of them
I'll drink to that
How was Brisbane?
Alright
Just alright?
Good
What'd you do up there?
Played up.
Got among the ladies.
Afternoon!
I'm..looking for Mr. King.
Mr. King?
Yeah!
I'm Michael Simpson.
Yeah?
The rousabout. I wrote to you.
Yeah?
Yes, Ivy.
Jesus! Look. I'll be right over right?
Ivy?
Ivy? Put a leg rope on him
I've come back,
but I'm not gonna bust ma gut.
I'm gonna shear nice and steady.
150 a day.
Ease up on the grog...
put a little bit away..
put a lot away!
And I reckon in four years,
I can have enough, to go down the coast,
buy myself a calling card.
Whadaya think of that?
Very commendable.
Don't ya believe me?
Mmm
Foley!
Didn't Johnny Russel ring
Aramak Downs in '51
Was I there?
Johnny says you were.
If I was there, nobody beat me.
D'you mean you rung every
shed you worked at in '51
'S right
Every shed in the last ten years.
That's stretching it a bit far.
Don't remember meeting you.
My name's Franky Davis.
Well, Frank, I don't recall that particular shed,
who said I was there?
Johnny Russell.
I was drinking with him last week.
Do you know him?
Mmm.
Well, he says you were there,
and he beat you.
but only by a whisker.
Well fancy that...
now here's a man who doesn't remember being at a shed,
but he remembers ringing it.
Not bad, eh?
If I was there, I rung it.
Oh, shit!
I was at Aramak Downs in '51
So was Foley.
Yeah, so was Johnny Russell.
Who are you?
Franky Davis, from Aramak.
I just trucked some stock over.
Who do you reckon rung that shed?
Foley of course.
You're Foley's mate!
Yeah, that's right.
You say you trucked some stock over.
Is it your own truck?
Yeah, why?
Ivy...
You could make yourself some money here Frank.
Look, here's ..two hundred quid,
I'll pay for the call,
Ivy, you can call the cocky at Aramak
Ask him to look up his books
for 1951
We wanna know who rung the shed.
Was it Foley, or Johnny Russell?
Right.
Aw, if you can't match that Frank,
just drop your truck keys on it.
Sure I was it?
Certainly.
Eighty quid!
I'll have a hundred on it meself too
Easy money!
Keys!
Johnny could have been spinning me a tale of course.
Look, either drop your truck keys on it,
or piss off back to Aramak.
Hey!
I'm no gun shearer
and I got a better talent
than Johnny at Aramak Downs that year
the only fast thing about Johnny is his mouth.
Foley would have the sheep shorn before Johnny
could remove the fuzz from his own arsehole.
Good to see ya.
Stupid prick!
It's not funny.
Oh, I know it's not funny mate.
And I am really sorry, but I can't help you.
Oh, it's not your fault.
Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?
Now how the hell was I to know
you were setting up as a shearing contractor?
not bloody psychic.
Cost us a fortune in grog, since inviting you.
What, do you want a refund?
How did Trevor Burke get on to you?
He wrote to me when I decided to give the fish market the arse.
Trevor Burke!
Treats his shearers something terrible.
I wouldn't work for him.
You've shorn for him.
I wouldn't now.
I may as well cut me throat.
Hey, Luigi!
One sharp knife mate.
Yeah, I'll use it too.
Look, Tim..
When I've done the shed for Burke,
I'll do one for you.
Fair enough?
You really think I'll still be in business?
Come Monday I'll be a laughing stock.
You've only got yourself to blame mate.
Christ, you go contract a shed
and you haven't even got bloody shearers.
I was fussy, that's all.
I wanted the best.
Look, I know you can't break contracts,
and I wouldn't ask you to.
You're right!
I can't break contracts.
Thanks mate.
Hey, look!
No worries.
Get stuffed!
Thanks mate.
Hey Foley!
What the bloody hell are you doing here?
Tommy West!
Where's your mad Pommy mate?
Thanks Luv.
What about Foley then?
Heh heh, yeah.
He's not back shearing?
He'd be a weak bastard.
Poor old Tim.
Giving me the shits.
Oh, poor bugger. You gotta feel sorry for him.
I've felt all the sorrow I'm gonna feel.
Now he's giving me the shits.
He's always wanted to be a shearing contractor.
He's been talking about it for years.
Yeah, well now he's giving me the shits.
Ease up.
Thanks mate.
How long's your shed going to last mate?
Oh, 6 to 7...
Days!
Six or seven days?
What is it just a short one?
That's right.
Oh, I had the idea it was going to run for weeks.
Oh no..
Well what the hell are you worrying about?
Me and badger don't start for another ten days.
We can help you out.
Course at the end, you know,
you'll have to transport us across to our shed.
Oh if it's too much trouble...
I'm just trying to help you out.
Oh no...
no trouble.
You can run them over, can't you Tim.
Yeah, sure.
Well what about you Foley? Why don't you help Tim out?
You don't start for another seven days.
Yeah, why not?
Yeah, stuck.
Orright, you got seven blokes.
Only need one more.
The gate!
Oh!
Come on!
Will I close it now Mr. King?
Course you'll bloody close it.
Would you mind telling me where I am?
You're on your way to a shed.
I see.
Why should I be on my way to a shed with you Tim?
Don't you remember?
No!
Wake up Foley!
I'm awake.
Don't you remember last night
begging Tim for a stand at this shed?
I do not.
Well you did.
You got down on your knees and cried,
didn't he Foley?
Tim, would you turn around and take me back?
As you know, I have a shed, and I start tomorrow.
Well, they'll think you couldn't stay
off the grog long enough to get out of town.
What are you doing now?
Going back.
Ah, where's your sense of humour?
You and Baz were also blackbirded,
it's a six week shed, not six days.
You rotten bastard!
It's me own fault.
Bloody mad with the grog.
You can't break contracts like that.
Christ no!
I was looking forward to seeing Ugly too.
Was Ugly going to be there? Oh, bloody hell.
You do have rum?
Ah, stuff it!
She's a ball tearer of a day.
Yes.
Does it come up to regulations?
It does.
It's not bad.
Hey Tim?
Better loosen that rum you've got mate.
Yeah.
Oh, Mr. King?
Oh, ah, where will I sleep?
Any bed, last couple of rooms.
Hey Tim?
What?
What are doin'? Playin' with your doodle in there?
Better get that bottle of rum out here.
Good quarters.
Terrific.
Cocky's a bit of a wowser, they tell me.
Is he?
Look, I just wanna say something.
I'm pretty new at this contracting business.
Too bloody right you are.
Well, there's one thing I know,
a good recommendation is everything.
So we don't want to do the wrong thing.
Like for example, getting pissed.
and too crook to start work tomorrow.
Right?
Why?
Now you're going to find it tough enough,
not having shore for five months
You too Garth.
Why?
Important thing is, we don't upset the cocky.
Hey Tim?
Better winkle out another bottle mat.
Might need it.
Ugly! Ya piss weak poop.
G'day Barry.
How are you Barry?
Not bad.
Wadaya want? Chocolate milkshake, or vanilla?
Very funny.
Good to see you Garth.
Yeah, nice to see you too Ugly.
Who rung your shed?
Eh? Ah, Teddy Smith.
Averaged 217.
Bastard wasn't trying.
Unpleasant little bugger that Teddy?
First shed he's rung in his life
Now he's walking around like his shit doesnt'stink.
How'd you go, anyway?
Averaged 203
Oh, come off it!
Bloody did. And rough sheep they were too,
I'm telling you.
Eh, was they New Zealand sheep, perhaps.
(laughter)
Don't you pick on me Garth.
You're a gentleman. Not like this riff raff here.
Give us a lash at that bottle here, will ya.
Arthur Black.
Foley. You heard of him?
Garth...Ugly...
Tom West, Basher Grant
Where's Berry?
In his room.
Hey Barry!
Yeah?
Arthur Black from New South Wales.
G'day.
Hello.
You'll bunk anywhere you can find space.
Black Arthur, more like it.
Next room!
Just..ah.. what's your name son?
Jim.
Jim the learner.
Hello.
And how old are you James?
Twenty.
How many sheep have you shorn?
Five thousand.
Well, when you've shorn another five thousand,
you can call yourself a shearer.
That right?
That'll be the cook.
Oh yeah, who is the poisoner?
Quin!
Who?
Bloke named Quin.
Look Tim, we pay the cook.
We got a right to a good one.
Well he's a goodun.
Anybody hear of a poisoner Quin?
You hear all that silence Tim?
Hey, you remember that cook we had to get rid of
on that property near Jericho in '52?
You know, he had, he had one arm.
Oh Christ yes!
Never heard of a one armed cook.
Oh, he didn't last long.
We had to get rid of him. (laughs)
Couldn't he cook?
Eh? Yeah, he was a good cook, wasn't he?
Mmm!
Meat balls. That was his specialty.
Rissoles. Beautiful rissoles. Best I've ever tasted.
Till we caught him. Then we had to get rid of him.
Doing what?
Well, he had all the stuff there, you know..
the meat, the onions,
and whatever other secret ingredients he had,
because they were beautiful rissoles..
and he'd pick up a lump of the stuff and he'd go..
(laughter)
He'd knock off one about every two seconds.
and it was ...it was a hotter day than today too.
we kept...we kept on finding his hairs in the bloody rissoles,
and we thought they were from his head.
That Quin?
Yeah.
Big bastard, isn't he.
G'day.
How many bottles of lemon essence have you ordered?
Half a dozen.
Well I ordered six bloody dozen.
You sure? I got the list.
I haven't got it. Anyway, come and meet the shearers.
If he can't cook, he's going to be a fair cow to get rid of.
Yeah.
Bloke's bound to get cranky,
travelling on a hot day like this.
Lemon essence man, is he?
What would he do with six dozen bottles
of essence of lemon?
Tell him, Tim.
What would he do with six dozen bottles of lemon essence?
Arg..er..could I have a bit more of that please mate.
Wake up, you bastard.
'Spose we better elect a rep.
'Spose.
Meeting!
Ah, who's gonna be the rep?
Anyone want to?
'Bout you Foley?
Oh no mate. Let someone else do it.
C'mon. All those in favour?
Those against?
Shit!
Foley!
The cocky..er Mr....er, the owner of the property,
wants to have a talk to you.
Morning.
I'm Mr. Dawson.
the owner of Timbaroo.
Mr. King assures me that I got before me,
as good a bunch of shearers as I'm likely to get.
I'm very pleased about that.
Now you'll be doing the rams, first up today.
My reason for talking to you
is to say that Timbaroo is a stud property.
One of those rams in there,
won first prize at the Royal Show last year.
We paid for him, ten thousand guineas.
and most of my others are worth
half that and more at auction.
We all know how easy it is for a money hungry
shearer to incapacitate a ram,
consequently, instead of the usual double rate,
I've decided to pay double plus a half.
What Mr. Dawson's saying is
these rams are worth a quid,so be careful
with their pissels and be careful with their nackas
Mr. King,
the learner will not shear the rams.
No, of course not.
Careful!
Let him up!
Let him up?! I just got the bastard down!
Let him rest!
I want a meeting!
What about?
The cocky.
Right.
What about him?
He's driving us up the wall.
Hey, cut it out! You're a contractor now.
What do you wanna do?
Men have had a vote!
They voted to ban him.
The cocky?
Yep.
From his own shed?
He's driving us mad.
If he carries on running up and down like a headless chook
the place'll be ankle deep in pedigree balls.
Anyway, that's the vote.
Wait a minute...
What am I going to tell him?
Tell him to go home, put his feet up
and count his money.
Oh Mr. Dawson...
Take it easy you old bastard.
And yourself.
Been away from it too long?
yeah.
You see the cocky?
Bastard!
Bastard!
Tar pissel!
Hey!
What'd you do to that ram?
Mr. Dawson!
Mr. Dawson?
Mr. Dawson.
I think that shearer was having a joke with you.
Take your water bag.
You alright?
How's Garth?
Orright.
Oh, there's a letter from Mum.
On the mantlepiece.
What's she say?
Nothing much.
How'd the first day go?
I'd forgotten what scum they are.
I saw one of them this afternoon.
An old shearer.
Outside the shed on his hands and knees.
Yeah, the bloody contractor.
By God they need taking down a peg or two.
The bonus of ten percent was introduced last year
with the slump in prices this year,
Is it any good?
Pig's food
How you feeling this morning?
Better tar 'im up son.
Get out of it!
Son, you wrote me you'd shore five thousand sheep.
You haven't done five.
What were you? A rousy?
Pack your things and get out.
Tell the kid how you got your first shed Tim.
Lied to the contractor, like the rest of us.
Take your time, and don't cut 'em to pieces.
Thanks Mr. King.
We gotta do something about the cook.
He's gettin' worse.
What do reckon he's put on these sandwiches?
Ah, they're not bad.
Bullshit!
Right!
How long you been shearing?
Twenty years.
Bit more.
Where abouts?
Western New South Wales, Queensland.
All over, really.
First shed in this area, funnily enough.
Ah, I'm buggered now.
Used to be able to go once.
But I'm buggered now.
There's a good one for ya.
Aah!
Well waddaya know.
Berry sheared exactly one forty.
Hey Tim, I think you made a mistake with the last one mate.
One fifty nine, that's right.
No, two above that.
What Arthur? One eighty nine. Same as Foley.
Tim!
Well the men have had a vote.
Quin goes.
You can tell him tonight at tea.
Tomorrow's Saturdy. You can be back by Mondy with a new cook.
It's good.
No, it really is. Try it.
He probably heard the whisper that you blokes were unhappy
about the food. So he's made an extra effort tonight.
Oh come on! At least try it.
The men had a meeting..
'Spose we better have another meeting.
Why me?
Eh, you're the rep.
What?
Yeah, ah, I'm just picturing that Quin.
He, he's a fair level of fella, isn't he?
Yeah, I've seen you go, and you're good son,
but, ah, I, I don't think you'd beat that Quin in a straight fight.
Listen, if he was fighting clean and I was fighting dirty,
I still couldn't beat the bastard.
Yes.
It's a pity Tim didn't supply Quin
with more of that essence of lemon.
Why?
Well it seems to me, that Quin with lemon essence,
would be an easier prospect than Quin without lemon essence.
Mail truck tomorrow.
Mail truck tomorrow.
Mail truck tomorrow
What time?
About half past six.
And what...
I'm a shearer.
Yes I know. I've seen you.
What have you taken?
Essence of lemon.
A few bottles of essence of lemon.
Why essence of lemon?
To get rid of the cook.
He drinks it. It's mostly alcohol.
I'm not a thief.
You're a good imitation of one.
I left the money.
On the shelf
Thank you.
I'd like to watch the shearing.
Sorry luv, there's no women allowed in the shed.
If I call my father, you'll be off the property.
What's the matter with the cook?
His cooking.
Hey Quin!
Come here.
This breakfast...(spits)..tastes like roast turd.
That sure is a lot of mail.
Just one of the blokes loading it.
You got the mail on there yet?
Just about.
Nah!
Yeah, I tell you, that Quin..
meanest bugger I ever met.
Yeah, you never were much of a knuckle man Tim.
No, if I see him on the tracks, I'll stop and give him a lift.
Same as I would anyone else.
If he turns nasty, I'll flatten him.
Righto!
You're a brave man Harry.
You have to be, on this job.
See ya Tim.
Oright?
Mr. King'll be down to see you as soon as he can.
Hello there. You could do with a nice wash.
Wentworth, you're a sight for sore eyes.
And how's the ah....
Noddy.
How's Noddy behaving himself?
Well of course we've just met,
but I think we'll get along very well together.
That's great.
Ducks on the pond!
Ducks on the pond!
Good morning.
Meeting.
She claims we owe her a favour.
You invited her.
No.
You invited her.
She invited herself.
What favour?
I told ya!
She turned a blind eye about the lemon essence.
Will you, leave please, Miss Dawson?
No.
The men are having a meeting.
You're allowed to watch one run.
That all right by you?
Yes, of course.
Morning Al, how about a hair cut.
Stay still, and we'll knock some of the wool off you.
C'mon!
Turn it up!
Put your knee in!
Thank you.
It's Saturdy
Enough!
Will you turn off the bloody light!
shouldn't be long now before the starter presses
Approaching the ten furlongs point and
and still battling.....
from Sibling Eton and Tom Soul
then comes Free Max, moving forward now
and they're being followed up then by
Free Max,
C'mon, hit 'im. Hold your ground.
Hold your ground. Hit 'im.
Oof, oof,
In the stomach. In the stomach.
Ya got him now. Get 'im down again.
get him down. C'mon, get 'im down again.
Oh, beauty.
That's enough.
Hoad is now seeded number two
in the New South Wales tennis championship
How long we been here?
About four weeks.
More like four fucking years.
Pig's arse!
Ow!
They're not clean.
Yes they are!
There's dirt on the leg.
That's not dirt, that's a stain. It's been there for years.
You gonna be long with the light?
No.
Nope.
Today, is my wedding anniversary.
You mean to tell me you're married?
Yeah, I've got a son.
He be..ah..oh, he'd be twenty now.
Is he a shearer?
Well, I brought him up when he was fifteen,
he spent one day.
heh, he shot through.
Caught the train back to his mother.
First I heard of you being married.
Wife worked it out one day,
I spent with her, three years in twenty one
Three years all told.
That's shearing for you, Foley.
Where's your boy now?
Well..I heard last year, he'd gone down to Sydney
working at window dressin' or somethin'
Yeah..I went down to Sydney, spent a whole month there.
Hah, by crikey Foley, there's an awful lot
of shop windows in Sydney.
D'ya find him?
Eh?
Nope.
Don't forget to turn out the light.
What time is it?
It's Sunday!
I'm jack of you mate!
What's wrong?
You're a bloody alcoholic!
You don't mean that.
Hopeless old drunk! Fuckin' piss pot!
Aww..I have a few drinks. Like any shearer.
You don't mean that.
You've always been a very good friend of mine Foley.
Bloody Sunday!
Yeah.
Not too long to cut out.
Well...Tim reckons..ah.. next Tuesday or Wednesday
Yeah.
Think I'll go and take a look at..ah..tomorrow's sheep.
Right.
Comin'?
Mmm?
Goin' over to take a look at tomorrow's sheep.
I'll just..carry on with my letter.
What's the matter with you Berry?
Waddaya mean what's the matter with me?
There's nothing the matter with me.
Are ya queer, or somethin'?
I'm not queer.
You're always writing letters.
Who do you write letters to?
My wife.
God, bugger me!
What the bloody hell's wrong with you?
Hey!
Go fetch old Garth, will ya.
Finish the one you're on, then we'll call it a day.
Old Garth's dead.
Good morning.
My father wants to know whether you'll be
resuming work this afternoon or tomorrow.
Bloody tomorrow!
Put him in the back on the canvas.
Slide him in, that's the way.
Where's the proper vehicle?
Oh, in use. Old Mrs. Taylor's got the use of it today.
Couldn't you get another one?
Oh yeah, from Smithfield,
I've got an arrangement there.
But it'd cost you fifty quid, all this way.
Well, why didn't ya?
What, for Old Garth?! Heh.
If it'd been for the fuckin' cocky, youd've done it!
Yeah, well, too right. But then I'd known
I'd get paid for it.
But don't worry, he won't feel no bumps.
Hey!
Now if I hear, that on the way into town,
Old Garth found his way into the back again,
I'll come looking for you.
Right!?
I remember walkin' away from the orphanage every Saturday.
Every Saturday down the railway line.
The line took me to town.
I remember when I was twenty,
in Brisbane,
down from the shearing,
going into the bar of the toughest pub,
and the toughest man in the bar,
Jacky Sorehnson,
huh, big bloke Jacky,
wharfy,
sent me over a beer.
And he gave me a nod of respect,
and I was twenty.
and a shearer.
I was a gun shearer.
Last day, thank Christ.
Yeah.
just out of here any day now.
Hey!
You been here all night?
Na.
Got here early.
Couldn't sleep.
Bloody room too hot.
Be in town tonight!
With a bit of luck.
You better pull your socks up boy.
Or stop muckin' about.
Haven't you been trying?
Oh, you cunning prick!
What's this then?
I dunno.
What's this?
You know I saw a bloke do this once,
in a shed in Victoria.
Well I've never seen it, and I'm not sure it's allowed.
Oh well, it's allowed in Victoria.
What's the idea of it?
Oh, the idea is he doesn't have to switch off between sheep.
The cookin' oil stops it from burning out.
That wouldn't save you much.
Save you some.
Well, 'spose we could have a meeting about it.
See if it's allowed.
I don't give a stuff.
Sure? No trouble to hold a meeting.
Nah! Stuff it!
Hey, I've got some news for you blokes.
Tim tells me the court's just ruled on the prosperity bonus.
And...
We've lost it.
Better hang on to your pennies,
I think there's going to be a bit of strife.
Any shed in the last ten years,
if I was there, nobody beat me.
'S right. Any shed in the last ten years...
...shed in the last ten years...
if I was there, nobody beat me.
'S right, every shed in the last ten years.
'S right...ten years...
Sheep-o
I'm faster on cross breeds.
So am I mate.
It's yours, it's yours.
Right.
Sevens for me. Sevens.
On the over....Sevens...Sevens
You bastard! (shouting)
Pay over, pay over..
Yeah, go!
All right. No more bets.
Forget it!
Place your bets, place you bets.
Stupid poop. How much did you lose?
The lot.
You know we're...odds on to strike, don't you?
How much did you lose?
Oh, only a couple a hundred.
Listen, Tim's getting a bit wobbly round the knees about all this.
He reckons we should cop what the court says.
Otherwise they'll bring in scab labour.
There's been trouble up north already.
What do you think?
I don't.
All I know is here I am again,
with the arse out of me tweeds,
Why don't you ask your mate, Black Arthur?
He's gone.
And I'm going too.
You know where I'm going? Back to the fish market.
Now why don't you piss off,
and annoy some other bugger
Hello Foley!
Franky Davis, remember?
I hear you got done.
Now we'd appreciate it if you all
went back where you came from.
I'd hate you to think you got us out numbered.
The town's chocablock full of stinkin' shearers,
on strike!
We're just the welcoming committee.
You're scabs!
That's what you are.
You're the lowest form of life.
Well, that was piss weak.
We got company!
Beer for thirty, there abouts.
Stuff 'em Ivy.
Don't wreck the place.
I don't serve scabs.