High- country character dies

Donald Burnett viewing stock at Mt Cook Station.

11-08-2010 | Contributor

Donald Burnett
July 21, 1915 - July 15, 2010

The high-country community lost one of its characters with the death of Donald Burnett last month. He was 95.

Donald was aptly christened Donald Mt Cook Burnett and Mt Cook Station was, according to friend and fellow high-country farmer Jim Morris, his home, his passion and his raison d'etre.

The property has been in the Burnett family since it was first settled by Donald's grandfather in 1864.

Morris, who delivered the eulogy at Donald's funeral, described how seriously Donald took his role of custodian of land and he adopted management practices such as no burning and moderate stocking rates long before they became fashionable.

Throughout his life Donald was an enthusiastic breeder of Merino sheep and producer of ultra-fine, high-quality wool. In his eulogy, Morris recounted Donald's great love of animals and says he would care for his sheep, often to the detriment of his health.

On one occasion Morris was travelling with Donald in the Land Rover when he spotted a packet of Malt biscuits on the dashboard. Having a penchant for Malt biscuits, Morris thought these might be for morning tea, but it transpired that they were for the pet sheep. Donald peeled an orange for himself.

Similarly, a now retired South Canterbury farmer recalls how, as an 18-year-old shepherd at Guide Hill, he found a dog which belonged to Donald. This young shepherd was promised a reward for returning the dog and he eagerly anticipated what he imagined would be either cash or few beers. He was therefore surprised when Donald presented him with a bunch of grapes and a box of chocolates.

From early in his farming career, Donald was sending wool to England where he regularly topped sales. The Mt Cook-branded wool soon became synonymous with style, colour and quality and in 2000 Donald was named the world's leading Merino woolgrower by Dr Pier Luigi Loro Piana, whose Italian textile company paid $120,000 for a 100kg bale of 13.1-micron fleece. This wool set a world record for the fineness of wool in a full bale.

Known for his sharp mind, Donald enjoyed exploring new ideas and technologies and was a skilled photographer and engineer.

His interest in photography began at school where he printed his own photographs before moving on to 16mm films upon which he recorded skiing and climbing trips to Austria and Switzerland as well as mustering on the station.

In 1949 he built a power house to generate electricity for the station, primarily to make life easier for his mother, and to this day Mt Cook Station remains self-sufficient in electricity.

Donald never married or had children but lived with his sister Catriona Baker, who also lived on the station all her life, initially helping her parents and for 60 years, her brother.

Age was simply a number to Donald and he celebrated his 70th birthday by climbing the 2743m (9000ft) peak "Nuns Veil" with two friends. Donald's optimism was such that he recently started a new sheep breeding operation and in his nineties was still planting trees with a view to the future.

Country-Wide editor Terry Brosnahan recalls phoning Donald, then in his late 80s, late one evening, only to be told he was out rabbit shooting and wouldn't be expected home for at least two hours.

High-country farmers and Federated Farmers vice-president Donald Aubrey says Donald was a loyal member of Federated Farmers and was one of three members
who, in 1967, instigated the building of Tekapo's famous sheepdog statue.

During Aubrey's time as chair of the High Country Accord and High Country committee of Federated Farmers he always found Donald to be supportive and the pair had frequent discussions over the phone, which Aubrey says he always enjoyed.

"He would always consider his words carefully and was keen to contribute.

"I respected that."

Aubrey says Donald was an ardent National Party supporter, particularly infuriated by the Labour Party's proposal to increase crown lease rentals based on the view.

In his eulogy, Morris described Burnett as a strong-willed character.

"Donald was not known to go to cabarets on a regular basis and the jazz scene in New York would be an anathema to him, but I do think that when Frank Sinatra penned the song "I Did it My Way" he may have had Donald in mind.

"Donald was not a large man but you had to have a very good argument to get him to change his mind."

Mt Cook Station will carry on under the Burnett name and be run by a trustee.

Donald Mt Cook Burnett died on July 15. He is survived by his sister Catriona Baker.

- Sandra Taylor

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