They moved stock from farm to farm, to saleyards, freezing works, and abattoirs and when stock started arriving by ship, they moved large mobs around the country.
Often, they were on the road for days, weeks or even longer, sleeping rough, or if they were lucky, there may have been an old shack to fend off the rain.
They soon learnt what paddocks were available to water and feed their animals on the arduous trip.
Droving was actually a craft, it was not just moving stock because the more stock they drove, the more experienced they became.
Along with that came knowledge, skill and almost a sixth sense about the stock in their care.
Many a time they would have had their horses to thank for getting to their destinations safely, as often drovers did not reach their overnight holding paddock till it was dark.
As time went on, they also had to deal with the automobiles that were growing larger in number, their pay was not great and over time there also became a shortage of drovers.
Here is an article from The National Library’s collection of Papers Past that talks about life as a drover and some of the inconveniences for both drover and motorist.
Motorists and Drovers: Who are to blame?
Inconveniences on roads.
More co-operation necessary.
Wanganui Chronicle, August 7, 1925
The necessity of promoting more cooperation between motorists and drovers of stock than has existed in the past was stressed at Tuesday’s evening meeting of the Wanganui Automobile Association.
The consensus of opinion was that in the majority of cases motorists were to blame for many of the inconveniences experienced in passing stock on the roads.
Primarily due to a lack of understanding of drovers’ responsibilities, motorists were apt to attempt to pass travelling stock at most inopportune moments and thus inconvenience both them and the drovers.
The matter was introduced by Dr. Adams, who instanced a case where a drover had refused to remove a mob of sheep which were lying on a narrow roadway resting.
A Wanganui Chronicle article tackles the motorists vs drovers dilemma in 1925. Image / Pastures Past
He considered the association should ascertain the legal position in such a case.
Dr. Porritt said that in the great majority of cases drovers were not to blame.
Some motorists showed an appalling lack of understanding of the inconveniences drovers had to put up with.
He had seen motorists approach a mob of sheep at full speed and sound their sirens until they got through and they would take the drover to task if he did not attempt to assist.
Such conduct should not be tolerated by the Automobile Association.
He had discussed the matter with one drover, who had pointed out to him many little courtesies which would help to create better feelings between drovers and motorists.
What the association wanted was to get the views of the drovers and try to appreciate the many difficulties they had to contend with on busy roads.
Mr J. Hodson endorsed Dr. Porritt’s views.
He stated that he had had motoring experience on most of the busy roads all over New Zealand, and he had always held that travelling stock had rights as regards the use of the road, equal to the rights of any other class of traffic.
He had found that if the motorist acted fairly the drovers met him half-way.
Mr D. McFarlane said that a motorist should be a drover to understand the difficulties they had to contend with.
Mr F. Symes endorsed the remarks of the previous speakers.
He considered that drovers were not always to blame for inconveniences caused.
He had seen cars driven into mobs of timid cattle and the resultant scatter on each occasion had seemingly pleased the motorists.
Dr. Adams said that motorists should extend every courtesy to drovers.
There were occasions, however, when drovers were to blame, and then again a large number of motorists acted through ignorance.
He moved that, the association obtain the views of the Drovers’ Association and Farmers’ Union on this matter with a view to introducing in the Wanganui district a better spirit of co-operation between drovers and motorists.
Dr. Porritt seconded this motion, which was carried unanimously.
Wairarapa Drovers: Union secretary denies shortage
Additional men employed
Wairarapa Times-Age, December 26, 1942
A statement that there is no shortage of drovers in the Wairarapa is made by Mr Robert C. Jordan, local secretary of the Wairarapa Drovers’ Branch of the New Zealand Workers’ Union, in reply to a recently published report to the effect that Wairarapa sheep farmers are experiencing considerable difficulty in engaging drovers.
Mr Jordan stated that ten to twelve additional drovers were employed this season, as it was anticipated, owing to restrictions on the conveyance of stock by motor lorry, that there would be a bigger demand for drovers.
Any suggestion that the shortage was partly due to the older drovers going on to Social Security benefits was not correct.
