Wide intellect, boldness and strong fibre
Mill manager
MIKE BARRA had an absolute passion for the textile industry and the people who worked within it, and he used that passion to help extend the life of the historic Milton woollen mill.
Mr Barra found a way to reopen the Milton mill — which employed 400 people at its peak, but had dropped to 54 at the turn of the century — after it was shut down by Alliance Textiles in 1999.
Asked to do a feasibility study, he determined the mill could be viable, and it reopened as QualitYarns on January 17, 2000.
That year, he bought the 44 machines for making worsted yarn from the Mosgiel woollen mill closed by Coats Spencer Crafts. That made the Milton mill unique in New Zealand.
‘‘There’s no other mill in
New Zealand that has woollen, worsted and fancy yarn production under the one roof,’’ he told the Otago Daily
Mr Barra and his staff fought hard to keep the mill viable, but it closed for good in November 2011.
Bruce Woollen Mill had established the Miltonbased business in 1897, and at one point manufactured the first woollen overshirts on behalf of Swanndri.
Allan Walker, one of the first two employees of the newlook QualitYarns business alongside Mr Barra, recalled his former colleague and friend as a ‘‘true scholar’’ of the industry.
‘‘He not only understood the technical aspects of the textile industry, but he understood how to put them into practice,’’ Mr Walker said.
‘‘Mike, having this ability, was the main driving force behind QY. As with any business, we had our fair share of trials and tribulations, but Mike’s calming influence and highly professional approach helped me immensely.’’
Mr Barra did everything he could to keep the mill going during a difficult time, Mr Walker said.
‘‘To say that the textile industry was somewhat of a fickle industry, and always had been, would be an understatement. Textiles never was an easy trading environment.
‘‘Mike started a factory shop, alongside a mill museum, in the earlier years of QY, and this proved to be very popular with craft people and wider general public.’’
Mr Barra and partner Carol also spent thousands of hours working on the mill gardens and grounds, leaving them ‘‘pristine’’, Mr Walker said.
Six years after the mill closed for good, Mr Barra and Mr Walker put some work into establishing a small textile processing unit in Milton, but it did not get off the ground.
His former colleague was a titan of the industry, Mr
Walker said.
‘‘After working so closely with a person, one gets a very good understanding of their worth. Mike never made any hard decisions lightly. In fact, he would give a lot of thought and we would discuss all company matters at great length.
‘‘I have had quite a few bosses over the years, but Mike would be by far the best. This was because of his high intellect and his ability to understand the practical aspects of the textile industry.
‘‘Mike was well respected, not only from within QY, but by the textile industry at large.’’
Esmonde Michael Barra was born in Milton on October 1, 1943, the third of four children to farmers Jim and Margaret Barra.
He attended St Mary’s primary school then Tokomairiro District High School, where he excelled in both sport and academics, and was school dux in 1961.
Towards the end of his final school year, Mr Barra linked with the mill, receiving a scholarship to attend the University of Otago, where he gained a science degree.
He had a short spell in Timaru, where he was in charge of the laboratory for Alliance Textiles. While in Timaru, he met Janice Holden, and they were married on January 17, 1970.
They moved back to Milton, where Mr Barra rejoined the mill as assistant manager.
After the birth of daughters Michele and Christine, the family moved to Oamaru, where Mr Barra managed Alliance Textiles, and son Carl was born.
In the mid1980s, Mr Barra moved to Waipukurau to be chief executive of clothing company Norsewear, based in Norsewood. He spent a lot of time travelling the world to encourage companies to accept the brand.
He and partner Carol Wood bought a holiday home in Cromwell in 2000, and they were founding members of the Mokihi Reforestation Trust.
Mr Barra, who had a special affinity for trees and plants, spent a lot of time applying for grants and coordinating planting days.
Daughter Christine Young said her father was ‘‘an amazing man’’.
‘‘We feel very privileged to have him as our father. When we were kids, we would go swimming in the rivers, have walks in the bushes, and spend quality time together. His wealth of knowledge of wool, natives and everything else was amazing.’’
Mr Barra died on November 11, aged 77.
He is survived by partner Carol Wood, children Michele Lane, Christine Young and Carl Barra, and seven grandchildren.
— Supplied