Borthwicks - A Wonderful Poem by Harry Simpson

[Brian Probetts (Site Admin)]

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[Captain Kong]

Brings back the memories, but wasnt Borthwicks on the Brisbane River downstream from Brisbane?
I think the Parramatta River was up stream from Sydney.
In 1957 I went into Borthwicks to watch the Bovines being slaughtered one day, I turned vegetarian for about three hours. The following night after several ales on the way back from the pub we felt sorry for them and went into the stock yards and released several thousand head of cattle and sent them galloping towards Perth 3000 miles away.
Unfortunately they didnt make it and were rounded up the following day. When the Police came onboard we denied all knowledge of any stampede.

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes captain Kong you are correct about the rivers. Like you I went through the slaughter house in Brisbane back in 1964. A sad place i thought and was amazed at the number of females working there. Just after the beast was slaughtered using the gun it was swung up on a chain sling into the abbatoir and the first bjob was to slit the throat to bleed it and the person doing the job, a female. We were offered a full tour but having seen that bit we decided not to go the full works.

[Captain Kong]

Hi John,
In 1957 they didnt use a gun.
The cows came through a door into a box, a man stood astride the sides with a hammer pointed at one end and then hit the cow between the eyes the side of the box opened and the cow fell out onto its side if it was still kicking a young lad with another hammer hit it again and again until it stopped then the chains were attatched to its legs and it was hoisted up sent on the rail to the troughs where two men were slitting them from crutch to the throat letting all the tripes fall out. Then the rest was stripped as it went along the rail.
I guess it was a little gruesome. That is why we tried to release them.