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In 1953, he bought a property at Marmor named “Seven Hills”, south of Rockhampton. This property is a beautiful place today, but when he first bought this land it was mostly full of timbered country. In 1955 he bought his first Allis HD5. In 1965 he had bought his first Cat D6C 73 A Series and also owned and worked five Dozers.
While the dozers were contracting, he also progressed into buying store cattle and sending back as fat cattle. To do this he ploughed approximately 700 acres of “Seven Hills” and fattened cattle by strip grazing. Many successful years followed.
At this time Bill tried to buy a top soil ripping boot - he searched the World - but none were available. Instead he decided to develop his own. Bill has now patented a ripper boot which is commonly known as WASCA Wings. More>>
Bill’s Wool Pressing Days
Bill made a name for himself in the shearing sheds. Still to this day he is a champion wool presser. He pressed as many as 74 bails in one day with a Ferrier Press. An author by the name of Patsy Adam Smith has including him into her book entitled, “The Shearers”. Below is an extract from “The Shearers” by Patsy Adam Smith.
About Bill Chapman
Bill Chapman was born in Ballarat, Victoria in 1931. He was the fifth child of a large family that consisted of ten children. His first job was what really has inspired him to where he is today. He was employed as a drainage worker by his family. Their main source of business was draining swamp and marshes to cultivation. To this day he is trying to improve our land whether it be water and soil.
Bill came to Queensland in 1947. He was inspired by wool pressing as another field of employment and also because money was very good in the sheds in those days, but deep down he was always considering different ways to improve the country living. More about wool pressing... Click HERE>
MORE> Call Bill or Di on 0438-345524 OR 0407-345522
“There were some big guns among the pressers. A Victorian, Bill Chapman, has done 70 bales a day. Jim Carew helped him do the last of 68 bales out of Longreach some years back. You need to be strong and active to be a good presser. They develop a system and their hands are doing something all the time.
‘Some of the steam presses needed three men to operate them. They had to be a good team to work well. They were the aristocrats. Guns.’
The greatest presser I have ever encountered or for that matter heard about was Bill Chapman, who consistently pressed 60 bales or more on a double-box Ferrier wool press. I saw him press 60 bales until 5 o’clock, come onto the board, shear a sheep for the learner and go down, shower before the shearers had knocked off. He liked to get to a new shed a day early to overhaul the wool press, get the sand bag the exact weight and everything in good working order. He had a perfect system which was followed for each bale.
In 1963, he pressed for 16 shearers at Bowen Downs (Qld) on his own. Some of the shearers felt two pressers should have been engaged, obviously not realising Bill Chapman’s ability. Among themselves they determined to ‘wool him up’, every man shearing the maximum number of sheep possible. Chapman pressed 70 bales, four days running and was not behind. The shearers thereupon acknowledged here was indeed a mighty man, undoubtedly the greatest wool presser ever seen.”
MORE> Call Bill or Di on 0438-345524 OR 0407-345522
LEGAL: © Bill Chapman 1998. All Rights Reserved.
This work is protect by the Copyright Act 1968. No part may be reproduced by any process without proper written permission from Bill Chapman.
The information contained on this site is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author and/or contributors, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of this information or specific details.
“Water and Soil Conservation Attachment”, referred to as WASCA Wings - conserves water and soil. WASCA Wings lays good foundations by saving water and improving pasture. We believe that Improved pasture = more PROFIT.