Paddy Mason

Food parcels replace shearing during Covid lockdown

Paddy Mason is well-known for his contribution to the Golden Shears, supplying the team of shearers who shear the sheep for the wool handling competitions. But last year his volunteer work took a di erent turn when Paddy, wife Charmaine and children Matene, Emma, Tama and Ana started putting together food parcels and delivering them to kaumatua during the Covid lockdown. The initiative rapidly grew with Paddy getting donations from di erent sources and increasing the range of bene ciaries to include needy families. Once the lockdown went up to level 3, the extended Mason family joined in, and by the end of the lockdown, the family had delivered around 15,000 food parcels. With the lockdown now in the past, Paddy is back at the Golden Shears supplying the shearers to shear around 700 sheep for the wool handling events. Not only is skill required to shear the full wool (once a year) sheep in order that the wool handlers have a complete eece for maximum visual e ect, but the shearers have to pace themselves as a team for the level of skill of each wool handling event. The Mason family has been volunteering at the Golden Shears since its inception. Paddy’s grandmother Hinerau Mason was a resident wool handler at the Golden Shears from when it started in 1961, and always encouraged the younger members of her extended family to take part. Paddy originally sheared for Hinerau who ran her own shearing team. He established Shear Expertise with business partner Colin Brown in 2006 and became the sole owner in 2016.

Since 2019 Shear Expertise has sponsored the Open Wool Handling championship, the winner of which wins the Hinerau Mason Memorial Trophy. Paddy and Charmaine’s children are part of the business with Matene Mason winning the Golden Shears Senior Shearing title in 2011.

Paddy’s wife Charmaine and daughter Emma do administration for Shear Expertise, while younger son Tama and younger daughter Ana work for the team during the school holidays. Most of Shear Expertise’s shearing is done in the Wairarapa, although they also shear on the Mercury Islands o the Coromandel Peninsula, Mahia Peninsula in Hawke’s Bay, and a few other locations outside the region.

Paddy Mason.