Ivan Bowen on his 90th birthday celebration doing one of the things he loved most - shearing sheep. Photo: Kelvin Teixeira ROTORUA, New Zealand (The Daily Post),
January 1, 2008:
Rotorua has lost one of its famous figures of the modern tourism industry. A world-renowned showman at Rotorua's Agrodome and legendary sheep shearer Ivan Verdun Bowen died on Saturday night after a year-long battle with cancer. He was 92.
Mr Bowen's son Grant Bowen described his father as a "true legend, a real character and an amazing family man". He became senior showman at the Agrodome which his late brother Godfrey and the late George Harford founded in 1972. There, his father helped turn the attraction's sheep show into the world class tourism venue it is today.
He remained at the job until he was 73. On his birthday Ivan Bowen would regularly come out of retirement to shear sheep on the Agrodome's stage. As well as his activities there Mr Bowen was one of New Zealand's best known shearers. Winning the 1961 Golden Shears was among the highlights of his father's life, Grant Bowen said.
He was national champion speed shearer five times, twice demonstrating his skills in front of the Queen.
In 1953, at the age of 37, he held the world record for shearing full wool sheep (sheep which haven't been shorn for a year) which he set in Ruatoria by shearing 457 sheep on a stage set up for the occasion.
"He had only planned to equal his brother George's record but someone had sneaked an extra sheep into the pen," Grant Bowen said. However, it was never about records for his dad.
"He believed competition shearing was the true test of a real shearer. Grant said his father was one of the strongest men he knew and could out-work most blokes. Another achievement was revolutionising the way sheep were shorn.
Mr Bowen is survived by his eldest daughter Nancy Campbell, Grant, youngest daughter Kate Marchiniak, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
By Greg Taipari
© APN News & Media Ltd 2007.
