Person Page (original) (raw)

M, #473708, b. 19 April 1909, d. 22 March 2000

Otway McLaurin Falkiner was born on 19 April 1909 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia G.1 He was the son of Otway Rothwell Falkiner and Elizabeth McLaurin.2 He married, firstly, Agnes Jeanette Cullen on 11 October 1934 at Wahgunyah, Victoria, Australia G.3 He and Agnes Jeanette Cullen were divorced on 12 October 1956 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia G, SMH Law Notices, decree nisi granted.4 He married, secondly, Patricia Ann Lang in 1957 at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia G. He and Patricia Ann Lang were divorced on 22 July 1977. He married, thirdly, Betty Irene Rushbrook, daughter of Ernest Alfred Rushbrooke and Muriel Irene Edwards, on 29 May 1978 at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia G.5 He died on 22 March 2000 at age 90 at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia G.6,1
He was Grazier; sheep stud owner; politician. Political party activity: Country Party. Qualifications, occupations and interests: Grazier. Educated at Geelong Grammar, Victoria; grandson of F.S Falkiner, founder of Falkiner stud, grew up on father's Boonoke station, Conargo, became a manager and studmaster of Boonoke, later chairman and managing director of F.S Falkiner and Sons Pty Ltd, which owned Boonoke, Zara, Wanganella, Wanganella Estate and Warriston stations, and Springleigh and Granby stations, Queensland; sold out to Cleckheaton Limited in 1971; director of F.W Williams and Company Pty Ltd and Australian Sisalcraft Company Pty Ltd; councillor of New South Wales Sheepbreeders Association, president from 1949 until 1954; noted judge of sheep, invited to judge in Argentina in 1953 during extensive world tour; Australian Club. Recreational interests include golf, tennis and gardening.
___

The Sydney Morning Herald front page on 26 October 1971 reported the sale of the Falkiner family properties owned by F. S. Falkiner and Sons Pty Ltd, chaired by Mack Falkiner:

A $2.6m ‘bargain’
Falkiner sheep properties sold

The Falkiners, one of Australia’s best-known grazing families, have sold seven sheep and cattle stations in NSW and Queensland to a wool-spinning company for $2.6 million.
In the 1950s the properties were worth about $12 million.
Droughts, falling wool prices and rising costs forced the family to put its 288,000 acres on the market last month, with an asking price of $4 million.
Cleckheaton Limited has acquired all the issued capital of F. S. Falkiner and Sons Pty Limited.
This will give it five NSW properties — Boonoke (headquarters station) 106,000 acres, Zara 52,000, Wanganella 28,000, Wanganella Estate 23,000, and Warriston 7,000 — and the Queensland holding of Springleigh and Granby, totalling 68,000 acres.
The NSW properties stretch side by side across the Riverina north of Deniliquin. They run for 24 miles west of Conargo along Billabong Creek.
Mr Otway McLaurin Falkiner, 62, chairman and general manager of the Falkiner company and a Country Party member of the NSW Upper House, said last night the sale had been a big wrench.
“This is our 94th year and I would have liked to see 100,” he said.
Boonoke was bought by Frank Sadleir Falkiner in 1878.
The company’s secretary, Mr P. J. Briggs, said there were 34 shareholders, a number of them beneficiaries from estates.
They wanted to sell the properties to get capital so they could invest it and receive an income.
He said about 70,000 sheep and 4,000 cattle were grazing on the properties. About 4,000 acres were under irrigation.
The Falkiners had been regarded as the largest merino stud breeders, he said.
Cleckheaton will take possession of the properties next month.
The firm is paying $1 million in cash and a further cash settlement within an agreed period.
Cleckheaton’s managing director, Mr F. G. James, said last night: “We got a bargain.
“Last year we had $1,943,000 in unappropriated profit so all we had really to do was get the money from petty cash.”
Mr James bought Cleckheaton “lock stock and barrel” in England and shipped the plant, personnel and trade name to Victoria in 1949 at a cost of $160,000.
Today, at 67, he has a company valued at $11 million, with spinning mills at Shepparton, Mooroopna, Tatura, Benalla and Coburg.
Mr James said Wanganella wool was the best in the world and he knew many overseas manufacturers who would buy it.
His company would save 4c a pound, or $200,000 a year, by spinning its own wool from the properties.
Mr James said he had begun making knitwear with “five quid”.
When it began Cleckheaton processed 6,000lb of wool a day.
“Today we process 30,000lb a day,” he said.
“We have made a fortune out of wool and we think it is time to put some back.”
Another well-known Falkiner property, the Haddon Rig merino ram stud at Warren, is not owned by F. S. Falkiner and Sons Pty Ltd and is not included in the sale.
It belonged to the late G. B. S. Falkiner, a cousin of Mr Otway Falkiner. Last night Mrs Falkiner said Haddon Rig was not for sale.

(Stock & Land newspaper reported in June 2000 that News Limited bought F. S. Falkiner Pty Ltd — “Australia’s biggest Merino stud operation” — in 1978 from Cleckheaton for about 3.5million.NewsLimitedsoldthecompanyinJune2000toMelbourne−basedstockbrokingfirmBellSecuritiesformorethan3.5 million. News Limited sold the company in June 2000 to Melbourne-based stockbroking firm Bell Securities for more than 3.5million.NewsLimitedsoldthecompanyinJune2000toMelbourne−basedstockbrokingfirmBellSecuritiesformorethan40 million.)
___

Mack Falkiner received the following posthumous tribute in the NSW Legislative Council, the upper house of the NSW Parliament, in April 2000:

The Honourable Otway McLaurin Falkiner Tribute

The Hon. D. J. GAY (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) [5.31 p.m.]: It is with sorrow that I rise to note the passing of the honourable Otway McLaurin Falkiner, who was otherwise known to many as Mack Falkiner. Mack died on 22 March this year and anyone who had met him would acknowledge that he was a delightful and decent gentleman. Mack was a member of this House from 1946 to 1978—a remarkable total of 32 years. His total service in this place is about the same as that of the three most recent Legislative Council National Party leaders, the Hon. Robert Webster, the Hon. R. T. M. Bull and me, combined. During that time, Mack made an outstanding contribution to the development of policy and legislation that impacted upon the people of rural and regional New South Wales.

Mack was born in Melbourne in 1909. Prior to entering politics, he worked on his family's property—the famous Boonoke station at Conargo—as manager and stud master. His family, the Falkiners, were amongst the original and best breeders of merino sheep in this country. That background in farming, and his particular expertise in the sheep industry, provided Mack with the knowledge and the understanding to represent his country constituents very well.

Mack did not deliver his maiden speech until the third year of his parliamentary term. That was representative of the age, when it would have appeared presumptuous to make a speech any earlier. Members would wait until they knew the Parliament, and the Parliament knew them, before casting their pearls of wisdom before the House. The Minister for Juvenile Justice, who is present in the Chamber, may wonder whether that approach would have merit for some current members of the House whom we could name. When Mack spoke in Parliament he always used the opportunity to ensure that those in the city were fully aware of the realities of life in the rural areas of this State. When speaking on the Appropriation Bill in 1954, he observed that:

the development of the State is being arrested by inadequate transport … and lack of water.

He also spoke of the need to arrest the drift of people from the country to the city. The issues that faced his constituents almost 50 years ago are still with us today. Mack believed in what he did, in the value of the farming community and in its enormous contribution to the State's economy. Mack was, and is, an example to all National Party members of how we can best represent the needs of rural and regional New South Wales.

Mack was also a councillor of the Sheep Breeders Association of New South Wales and was president of that organisation from 1949 to 1954. He was an internationally renowned judge of sheep and wool and toured throughout the world to speak about the Australian wool industry and represent the needs and interests of New South Wales graziers. He was a tireless, life-long member of the National Party and, from 1972 to 1980, held the position of treasurer of the party's New South Wales branch. He also contributed to his local community as a local government councillor. Mack was active in the business world, rising to the position of chairman of J. S. Falkiner.

Everywhere Mack went, he was known as a gentleman; a man who never had a bad word to say. His demeanour in this House was exemplary: not once did he interject or speak while another member was on his feet. His laconic nature is epitomised by a story that was recounted to me by another former member of the House, the Hon. Bob Rowland Smith. When Bob was first elected to this place, Mack took him under his wing to the back bench. He then turned to Bob and said, 'First of all, I will tell you about the bastards on that side of the House, then I will tell you about the bastards on this side.' Of all the stories that I have been told about Mack through the years, I have heard only one where he went back on his word—and I concur totally with his actions.

During the early part of his term in this Parliament, Mack donated the Falkiner family silver to the President's dining room and, for many years, it was used on formal parliamentary occasions. However, when the socialist dark age dawned on the Legislative Council and a Labor President became entrenched, Mack could not cope and retrieved the Falkiner family silver to the vault where it belonged. Mack's contributions to the Parliament, to his party and to Australia's sheep industry show what a fine man he was. History and his colleagues in this House will remember him well.

The Hon. D. F. MOPPETT [5.36 p.m.]: Madam President, I am grateful to you for your indulgence and for that of other honourable members in giving us this opportunity to join in paying tribute to a former colleague, Mack Falkiner. In addition to the privilege afforded to me in serving in the Legislative Council between 1976 and 1978, I had the pleasure of being a colleague of Mack Falkiner in this place. Therefore, like the Hon. J. R. Johnson, I can speak from direct recollection and contact with Mack Falkiner for at least part of his parliamentary career. I also served as vice-chairman of the National Party during the period to which the Deputy Leader of the Opposition referred when Mack was treasurer of what was then called the Country Party, New South Wales. Mack certainly did a fine job.

Everything that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition has said about Mack is correct. An affable man, he was very popular in and around the House. In fact, one could say that he embodied all of the best characteristics that one attributes to rural life. He was very forthcoming, made friends easily and gave his trust—at least initially—without reserve. He certainly would not let a person down. As the Deputy Leader of the Opposition said, Mack belonged to another era of politics. I suppose that, if one were to compare his parliamentary record with that of politicians from the modern era, one might think that it lacked some of the cut and thrust that came to this place with the dramatic constitutional changes that saw the end of Mack's political career.

Mack Falkiner quietly bore considerable influence on the affairs of State; he was not a headline hunter or one who sought self-gratification in his political pursuits. Mack made a substantial contribution to the political process, although he did not fill any of the more prominent leadership or ministerial positions. In the community Mack Falkiner was well known and widely respected, and certainly had a great influence on affairs of this State.

My colleague the Hon. R. T. M. Bull will refer to some of the contributions Mack made to parliamentary debate. I was present during his renowned speech on the wool industry, a subject that was dear to his heart. He challenged the myth, as he saw it, of the Macarthurs being the founders of the merino industry in Australia. He spoke about two women who walked sheep across Europe and through India, and finally embarked on a ship and landed in Australia. Mack credited them as the importers of the original Spanish merino sheep which established that industry. I look back with fond memories to the period I served with him. I note with regret the passing of a great Australian, albeit at the ripe old age of 91.

The Hon. R. T. M. BULL [5.41 p.m.]: I, too, associate myself with the remarks of my leader and the Hon. D. F. Moppett regarding the recent death of our former colleague Mack Falkiner. He was a giant in the pastoral industry. One only has to read his speeches to understand his depth of knowledge of and involvement in the merino industry. As my colleagues mentioned, Mack was the chairman and managing director of F. S. Falkiner and sons Pty Ltd, a huge pastoral family holding. In 1946 he was elected to this Chamber, nine months before I was born. He retired just a few short years before I was elected to this Chamber. For 32 years he represented the people that he loved, those of the pastoral industry and country areas.

In many of his speeches he referred to the sheep industry and the competitiveness of wool, and was against synthetic substitutes such as dacron, nylon and orlon—names that have passed out of everyday use. He spoke on many other issues relevant to country people, such as transport, the western lands Act, and wool prices. In a few of his speeches he harked back to the sheep and wool industries, shearing, and relevant industrial awards, topics that mattered to him and the many people he represented in the Riverina areas.

He had a most interesting and colourful life. He was a great storyteller around the corridors of Parliament, telling tales about colourful bush life. A raconteur, he had many interesting stories to tell about what happened within his family's pastoral empire. Sadly, in 1971 the Falkiner family sold their properties in the Deniliquin, Narrandera and Conargo areas to Fred James of Cleckheaton Ltd for a relatively small sum. That happened at the bottom of a wool price cycle, at a time when sheep were described as ground lice. Fred held on to the properties for only a couple of years before selling to Rupert Murdoch, the current owner. The studs at Boonoke and elsewhere have been maintained as the Falkiner family would have wanted.

Mack was very much part of the Country Party and the bush. I acknowledge his passing with sadness and pay credit to his great contribution to rural New South Wales, the Country Party and country people, and to this Parliament. I offer my condolences to his wife, Betty, and other members of his family.

Motion agreed to.
___

Second World War military service:

Name FALKINER, OTWAY MCLAURIN
Service Australian Army
Service Number V363280
Date of Birth 19 Apr 1909
Place of Birth MELBOURNE, VIC
Date of Enlistment 3 Feb 1942
Locality on Enlistment BOONOKE, NSW
Place of Enlistment DENILIQUIN, NSW
Next of Kin FALKINER, AGNES
Date of Discharge 17 Sep 1945
Rank Sergeant
Posting at Discharge 21 BATTALION VOLUNTEER DEFENCE CORPS
WW2 Honours and Gallantry None for display
Prisoner of War No.1,7,8,9,10 Otway McLaurin Falkiner also went by the nick-name of Mack. He was educated at Geelong Grammer School, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.