Family Ties: A grandfather’s love
THIS GOONDIWINDI GRANDFATHER AND HIS GRANDSON SHARE A CLOSE BOND AND LOVE OF THE LAND.
IT’S LATE AFTERNOON and Sam Coulton and his grandson Harry are in a golden wheat field at Alcheringa, near Goondiwindi. They stop here and there to break a seed head, rubbing it between their hands to release the grain, testing it to see if it is ready for harvesting. There’s an easy friendship between Sam, 66, and his 19-year-old eldest grandson — they maintained a close bond even while Harry lived in London for nine years. Now back in Australia studying economics at the University of Queensland, Harry continues to return to Goondiwindi, four hours south-west of Brisbane, to help his grandparents Sam and Bev with their business as well as the extended Coulton family’s farming operations. He’ll often be found on the tractor, preparing a cotton crop or driving the chaser bin, harvesting wheat, barley and chickpeas. “The change you see within three months is huge — one month you have a paddock with nothing in it and then there’s a crop, which is amazing to see. It’s natural and rewarding, but it’s also a lot of hard work and patience,” Harry says. Sam, or “Sampa” as Harry calls him, is a campaigner for the Goondiwindi region. Educating people about where their food comes from is close to his heart and something he wants to impart to his grandchildren. The Coulton family are pioneering farmers and cotton growers of the Macintyre Valley, and Sam diversified the farming business in 1992 by establishing clothing label Goondiwindi Cotton, which is now stocked in 200 stores. Sam, Bev and their four children: Harry’s mother Tricia and her sisters Samantha, Shona and Alissa remain connected to the business. The eldest of five, Sam’s brothers David and Ben are also still very active in the Goondiwindi district. “Working together is something our family has wanted to do. We all get on very well and have advice for each other and them for me, and it flows,” Sam says. According to both Sam and Harry, Goondiwindi is a special place thanks to its people and culture. “We have a ‘can do’ attitude; we have to be positive, because we’re facing reality and dealing with Mother Nature every day. A lot of time, effort and thought goes into the decisions we make because it can affect our long-term viability and community,” Sam says. Sam began offering tours of the town and nearby farms 13 years ago as a way to create jobs and educate people about agriculture. “People want to see the scale of farms, get their hands dirty and learn the facts of irrigation and farming,” he says. “I would like to get kids onto the farm so they can learn where their food comes from, how much it takes to get there and how we work with nature.” Visit goondiwindicotton.com.au to see the clothing range and to book a farm tour at Alcheringa.
HARRY I grew up in Bangalow in NSW, then moved to London when I was 10. From primary school onwards, I would go out to Goondiwindi every holiday and stay with Sam. I would spend Christmas and Easter break there and two months in July and August as well. It was a massive cultural change coming from London, but going out there made a real difference in terms of stepping out of city life and returning to the country and seeing family, which is really important. I loved the open space and freedom; in London you see people every day but when I’m in the paddock, it’s just me and the dog. That sense and freedom made a big difference in a little boy’s life, I must say. I went to boarding school until I was 16, which I loved. It was the best years of my life and I made great friends. The biggest things that Sam tries to get across are the process of learning and the day-to-day of life on a farm and in the bush. Working on the farm teaches you a lot about independence as there are situations when you are on your own and have to think for yourself, but it also teaches you the value of patience. Also, the respect you need to have for your family and community in such a small and tight-knit area. Everyone is on the same team and you have to give back. I talk to Sampa twice a week and even when I was in London, I would speak to him every week. It’s indescribable what he means to me. Sometimes we have our differences, but he has been a massive part of my life in terms of learning and also the friendship we have. It’s quite special; it’s amazing how just that little conversation can make such a difference. As I’ve grown older we’re more inclined to talk about the family business and farming and what we’d like to do outside of farming. He’s a very big community man and likes to see people do well rather than himself. I have a big passion for carrying things on that he’s started and I’d love to be able to use my degree to bring publicity back to the bush community. That would be my dream job, to be honest. >
SAM My grandfather purchased Getta Getta, 80 kilometres south-east of Goondiwindi, in 1924. He was a sheep man, but by the 1950s, Australia could no longer ride on the sheep’s back, so my father Keith — who turned 90 this year — started growing wheat, barley and sorghum. In 1973 we bought Alcheringa and developed it. We planted cotton in 1977 and the following year the first cotton crop was grown in the Macintyre Valley. Goondiwindi grows some of the best product in the world, whether it’s wheat, sheep, cotton or cattle. I wanted to value add at the farm gate and that’s how Goondiwindi Cotton started. We made shirts under the Goondiwindi Cotton label, but the main reason was to employ local people. Eventually, we got to the stage of putting a range of clothing together and we now make about 50,000 garments a year. It’s a good bush label and we have exceptionally good people right throughout Goondiwindi Cotton and our farms. You’ve got to be able to think for yourself and get out there and be creative — that’s the culture of the company. My job is knowing that people can do the job, guiding them and letting them be their own strengths. My siblings and I have gradually split our operations where we could and have been bringing our own families back through the business. We all talk and have a fantastic relationship, and I get support from my wife and family and my brothers and their families. We all feel part of each other’s businesses and talk things through, and that pushes you forward. Harry handles himself well; he’s very mature and I’m very proud of him. All of our grandchildren are in the same mould; they’re respectful, they try and they’re actively involved. This is where Harry’s roots are, even though his mother Tricia lives in London. It’s a bit like when you come home and you feel comfortable. I think that’s what Harry likes about Goondiwindi — everyone knows each other and you just feel good. Harry has manners and that’s very important in life. He thinks about other people and how things affect them. I’m hoping some of the grandchildren will come back into the business, but there’s a whole world out there that’s not just farming. What we do have in the bush is wide open, safe space.
“I think that’s what Harry likes about Goondiwindi — everyone knows each other and you just feel good.”