John Merton Harris
See also: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/holbrook-stud-and-the-harris-family/
Featured Image: The front cover of the Memorial Service booklet for John Merton Harris held at the Anglican Church in Denman. I was privileged to be there in a COVID-19 ‘limited congregation’.
The passing of John Harris marked the end of an era in Thoroughbred Breeding in the Upper Hunter Valley. John was the last of the older ‘traditional-style’ breeders which evolved in the 19th century and was refined throughout the 20th century. I refer to the family-owned and run farming enterprises. The one surviving exception is Widden which Antony Thompson has successfully reinvented as a large commercial enterprise now also successfully entrenched in Victoria.
The image of John Harris on the front cover defines the man, his genre, gender and generation. His younger brother Alan had pre-deceased him. John and I share a common bond in the formation of the Hunter Valley Bloodhorse Breeders Association (HVBBA, now HTBA) in 1978. We were two of an original committee of 12. Only Hilton Cope and myself survive today! I still warmly regard John Harris as a conservative foundation ‘rock’ on which we constructed the new enterprise. John was also intimately involved in many, mainly Denman, initiatives including Shire Councillor, Church Warden, RSL Club and President of the Denman Jockey Club.