Wool industry pioneer Bay de Lautour has passed away in Waipukurau after a working lifetime of service to farming.
The New Zealand wool industry has paid tribute to farmer, director and businessman Maurice Bayly (Bay) de Lautour who passed away in Hawke’s Bay recently, aged 88.
His individual contribution to the wool industry was huge, in terms of energy, commitment and his own capital, Primary Wool Cooperative (PWC) chair Richard Young said.
Bay formed PWC 48 years ago, stood down as chair a few years ago and saw it merge with Wools of NZ (WNZ) last year, bringing its 1400 members into the largest grower group of more than 2000.
“He took a great deal of satisfaction from that formation and he continued to be a director of PWC till his death,” Young said.
Under Bay’s governance, PWC formed a joint venture with Elders Wool in 2004 and then merged with Carrfield Wool a decade later.
Ever since the formation of WNZ in 1993, Bay strived for grower unity, using the PWC success as an example.
Campaign for Wool director Tom O’Sullivan said Bay had passionately and financially supported the trust since its formation in 2010 at a time when wool was struggling.
“Now the prospects look positive with a major change of attitude in consumers, after his life-long drive for wool awareness and education,” O’Sullivan said.
“The whole wool industry is saddened by the loss of such a great pioneer.”
Bay and his wife Shona moved to the Flemington district south of Waipukurau in 1958 and developed the Te Whangai property with sheep, cattle and, later on, deer.
They semi-retired to Takapau in 1984 and son Hamish took control, along with grandson Harry de Lautour, who was killed in a farm accident in late 2020.
Bay was a founding member of the Wairarapa Romney Improvement Group with Te Whangai in 1970 and at the jubilee celebration in 2020 his contribution was noted by co-founder Bill Hume.
“We have all hoped that some day there will be recognition of wool’s attributes and that this wonderful fibre will have some value,” Hume said.
“We have all hoped, but the two people who have worked so hard to have wool recognised and to market it successfully are Bay and Hamish de Lautour.
“They have been untiring in their efforts to improve returns from wool and we thank them for that.”
In 2016 Bay was recognised with the Laurie Dowling Memorial Award in the Hawke’s Bay Primary Industry Sector Awards for an outstanding contribution to Hawke’s Bay agriculture.
He was also recognised as a Member of the NZ Order of Merit in 2020 for services to farming.
He was a founder of Rural Support on the East Coast and saw it grow into a nationwide organisation.
WNZ said Bay had been involved with wool his whole life and his death was a great loss to the industry.
“He will always be remembered for his huge contribution as an advocate for change in the industry where it increased the returns for growers,” it said.
WoolWorks chief executive Nigel Hales said Bay was instrumental in getting his first job in the wool industry in 1978 for Associated Wool Exporters in Dannevirke.
Along with others, Bay set up NZ Wool Spinners, which Hales said was a move marked by foresight and courage.
“He began farm-to-yarn contracts and even today those ideas would look fresh,” Hales said.
Bay and Shona have four children, Hamish, William, Jane and Kate, 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
There was a private family church funeral, which may be followed by a memorial service when regulations allow.
Hamish said his father had devoted 80% of his time to the wool industry and then fitted everything else into the remaining 20%.
“He flew all over the country in his own light aircraft at his own expense,” Hamish said
“Now he has gone, other wool producers will have to step up.”
Development of Te Whangai was followed by sheep breeding and an emphasis on parasite resistance, written in a paper for the NZ Society of Animal Production in 2010, for which he gained great satisfaction.
Since grounded from flying, Bay’s happy place was spraying thistles on William’s farm near Waipukurau and pushing dirt around with a bulldozer bought for a vineyard development at Takapau.
