Gnowangerup History

Mouritz continues: There was a boar next door where we took her (their sow) ….after a lot of trouble we tied a rope around her leg and walked her up about a mile and a half (this could have been Whiteworth but was most likely to Tommy Stewart's) and we left her with this boar for a day or two..... and she had young ones"

The pig sty at Glenalmond. Was built about 1km away from the house for obvious reasons! 

My Grandfather, Tommy Stewart, made a wheel barrow, using a motorbike wheel...he would take the food down to them every evening.

These are Berkshire pigs (which are black) and they originated via the Sunday Times Pig Competition.

Readers could win a pair of pigs. The only proviso being they then passed a couple of piglets from the litter on to another farmer, and share the boars for reproduction.

This was a very effective, practical and much appreciated program.

A couple of amusing stories: when my Dad (Donald Stewart) was young, he and his brother Barrie were helping their  father, Tommy to get some pigs back into the pigsty when one of them charged at him. 
The pig ran between granddad’s legs, and being rather short man, proceeded to carry him at speed like a rodeo rider further down the paddock! Donald and Barrie who should have run to his assistance instead fell about laughing. They were not popular with their father for some time!!

Another time we were killing a pig for Christmas. All hands were on deck…it is a big job. The water was boiling in the 44 gallon drum, we had our Vacola lids ready (the sharp tin edge pretty well perfect for scraping pig hair off the skin); the cradle and hoist was ready.

Dad went to get his gun. 

His method was simple: pour food into the trough, slip the barrel of the gun into the ear of the pig and pull the trigger. 

All went well but when the shot rang out two pigs dropped dead…the one next to the target dropped dead of fright! So now the family had two to scour and dress!!

That’s how Dad earned the nickname “Annie Oakley” for a while!!