By XAVIER SMERDON
IN A small house on the very outskirts of Wyndham Tony Smith lives in relative anonymity.
But for years he was the best in Australia at his craft, and is now officially considered a legend.
Earlier this year Mr Smith was inducted into the Australian Shearers Hall of Fame in Hay in New South Wales, elevating him to the highest status in the field.
The Little River resident moved to his secluded house in 1980, where he now enjoys the quiet life and a well-earned retirement.
“I love it here. I’m me and what you see is what you get,” Mr Smith said.
“I live my life the way I want to. I don’t want to be spread about by anyone.
“I’m free.”
Mr Smith started his career in the shearing business at the age of 15 as a “rouse-about”, someone who helps the professional shearers with odd jobs, and worked at the Werribee Shearing Depot.
He won major competitions from 1959 through to 1975, when he won the Australian Merino Championships.
The great-grandfather was a member of the Australian Shearing Team for four years and captain of the team in 1975 and 1976.
His father, J N Smith, was a well known Werribee resident who dedicated his life to charities.
Mr Smith was nominated to become a member of the Hall of Fame by his friend Don Hinks.
“I never believed wholly and solely that I was going to be in the Hall of Fame until I was standing there doing my speech,” he said.
“Believe it or not I was lost for words.”
His record for the number of sheep shorn in a day was 248, which he did on “narrow gear”.
“I can’t say it wasn’t hard being a shearer, but I loved it,” he said.
“The harder it was the more I enjoyed it.
“I don’t go shouting about what I’ve done because if you’re any good at all you don’t need to tell people, they already know.”
