KIWI WARTS AND ALL AGRIBUSINESS FIND IN QUEENSLAND

On a recent North Queensland   search  and discovery  safari ,  a jumbled    bin of "free books " outside an op shop   attracted    attention because   one  of  them   stood  out  as  it  dealt  with  New Zealand  Olympic  champions. Rummaging through the bin ,  other books   dealing with    NZ  subjects   were  unearthed.  As this  blogger   has a strong  Kiwi association  and  interest  in  the  Shaky Isles ,  they  were promptly   taken in  hand .

Inside,  down the back of the large  shop, there was  an area with  many books in shelves, well   laid out ,  a  surprising number  dealing with  NZ and Australiana .  Complimenting  a  staff member  putting  out  more books , she was   asked how come there were  so many  books about   New Zealand . They had  just come in  locally , and  there were more  Kiwi books  out the back  in the sorting room. Would I  like to  have a look at them ?  You  bet  .

 

Sure enough, there was  a  wide range of  books , mainly dealing with the South Island .  In days  gone  by , when I  had a  bookshop, I would have bought the lot . However, I had to be highly selective , show a modicum of  self  control . Lurched out  to  the car with a  box  of  treasures.

Returning home ,  and long after, went  through  the  Kiwi collection closely  .  Several dealt  with  early  South Island  settlers,one  entitled  Petticoat  Pioneers  . The history of  a  prison  contained  interesting information about men who  had  been jailed  , some going on to become politicians . Made a good read  .

 One  volume ,  The  Fortex Story , written by  Sandra Martin , Dunmore Press , Palmerston North, 2004,  by its   cover  illustration  indicated it was probably  about sheep farming   down  the  chilly South Island . Surprise .  The   Fortex Story , on examination , told  how  a small South Island   meat processing  company  had  become the   1990 Company of the Year , and  four years later   the  charismatic  founder  and managing  director , Graeme Thompson , was sentenced   to  imprisonment  for  fraud . 

The blurb   said agribusiness  researcher  Sandra Martin   charted the meteoric rise of Fortex along  with  its  spectacular collapse, a  story of a company determined  to make a difference  , only  to find itself  a victim of the fiercely competitive  meat industry .

Fortex  plus 

Our freebie copy contained  an  inscription   from  Graeme , seemingly   Graeme  Thompson , to "Geoff." It reads :  The story-warts and all!  I just hope that  it will be perceived  that  we  did  change the  industry  to  what  it is  today !   Thompson   is the subject of a book , left, which  is due to be launched later this month  in New Zealand , with  media talk of  him " spilling the beans "about life in prison  and other   subjects . Some  people  on social media  have  expressed  dissatisfaction about the pending book , hoping he does not receive any proceeds  from its   publication.