Jackie Howe

John Robert Howe (10 July 1861 – 21 July 1920) was a legendary Australian sheep shearer at the end of the 19th century. He shot to fame in pre-Federation Australia in 1892 when he broke the daily and weekly shearing records across the colonies.

Howe was considered one of the three wonders of Queensland, along with Eulo publican and personality Isabel Gray (–1929), and the cook and Barcaldine hotelier Jimmy Ah Foo.

Life

Howe was born at Killarney near Warwick, Queensland. Jackie Howe's father, Jack Howe, was also a shearer and a clown with La Rosier's circus, His mother, Miss Stokes, was a lady's companion in 1840 at Canning Downs station and one of the first European women in the area, before marrying a second time to Jack Howe senior. and 1894, and was a committed trade unionist.

Later on Howe owned a public hotel, The Barcoo Hotel, in Blackall, Queensland. He also at one time was a licensee of the Universal Hotel. said, in a telegram to Howe's widow, "I have lost a true and trusted friend and Labor has lost a champion".

One son was John Henry Howe, but also known as Jack Howe. The second son, Darsey John Howe, wed in September 1927.

Shearing record

Howe was described as being "one of the best physically built men in Australia". This was a faster tally than any other shearer had achieved before. In the week beforehand, Howe also set the weekly record, shearing 1,437 sheep in 44 hours and 30 minutes. but Reick was using machine shears, while Howe's hand shears were little more than scissors.

In October 2015, Howe's record was reported as still unbeaten after 123 years.

Howe became the name given to navy blue singlet tops. According to legend, this is what Howe was wearing on the day he broke the shearing record. It has also been indicated in a woolshed, a big shearer took his shirt and snipped off the sleeves with a pair of shears, saying "I'll make a Jackie Howe of it", with the name associated since.