“Ihavemadea lotofmatesinGoondiwindi,
playingfootballandworking,”saysHarry.
FACINGPAGE“Familybusinessisabout
beingaccountableandhardwork.Theland
is24/ 7andit’sthededicationtoit that makes
it soworthwhile,”Samsays.
OUR LIFE IN THE COUNTRYGOONDIW INDI QLD
SAMMygrandfatherpurchasedGettaGetta,
80 kilometressouth-eastofGoondiwindi,in
1924.Hewasa sheepman,butbythe1950s,
Australiacouldnolongerrideonthesheep’s
back,somyfatherKeith—whoturned
90 thisyear—startedgrowingwheat,barley
andsorghum.In 1973 weboughtAlcheringa
anddevelopedit.Weplantedcottonin 1977
andthefollowingyearthefirstcottoncrop
wasgrownintheMacIntyreValley.
Goondiwindigrowssomeofthebest
productintheworld,whetherit’swheat,
sheep,cottonorcattle.I wantedtovalue
addatthefarmgateandthat’show
GoondiwindiCottonstarted.Wemade
shirtsundertheGoondiwindiCottonlabel,
butthemainreasonwastoemploylocal
people.Eventually,wegottothestageof
puttinga rangeofclothingtogetherand
wenowmakeabout50,000garments
a year.It’sa goodbushlabelandwehave
exceptionallygoodpeoplerightthroughout
GoondiwindiCottonandourfarms.You’ve
gottobeabletothinkforyourselfandget
outthereandbecreative—that’sthe
cultureofthecompany.Myjobisknowing
that people can do the job, guiding themandlettingthembetheirownstrengths.
MysiblingsandI havegraduallysplitour
operationswherewecouldandhavebeen
bringingourownfamiliesbackthroughthe
business.Wealltalkandhavea fantastic
relationship,andI getsupportfrommywife
andfamilyandmybrothersandtheir
families.Weallfeelpartofeachother’s
businessesandtalkthingsthrough, and
thatpushesyouforward.
Harryhandleshimselfwell;he’svery
matureandI’mveryproudofhim.Allofour
grandchildrenareinthesamemould;they’re
respectful,theytryandthey’reactively
involved.ThisiswhereHarry’srootsare,
eventhoughhismotherTricialivesin
London.It’sa bitlikewhenyoucomehome
andyoufeelcomfortable.I thinkthat’swhat
HarrylikesaboutGoondiwindi—everyone
knowseachotherandyoujustfeelgood.
Harryhasmannersandthat’sveryimportant
inlife.Hethinksaboutotherpeopleandhow
thingsaffectthem.I’mhopingsomeofthe
grandchildrenwillcomebackintothe
business,butthere’sa wholeworldoutthere
that’snotjustfarming.Whatwedohave in
the bush is wide open, safe space.96 COU NTRY ST Y LESEPTEMBER 2019