Terry Goodear from R.M.Williams on Heritage, Heartland & Keeping an Australian Icon Alive

This episode of Beyond the Buckle is a very special one.

Prue sat down with Terry Goodear from R.M.Williams, one of Australia’s most iconic and best-loved legacy brands, for a conversation about heritage, heartland, storytelling and what it really means to carry a brand with so much history into the future.

As the Heritage and Heartland Marketing Manager for R.M.Williams, Terry plays an incredible role in protecting the soul of the brand while helping it stay connected to the people, places and communities that made it what it is today. From the outback to the city, from workwear to western style, R.M.Williams is woven into the fabric of Australian life, and this chat gives us such a beautiful look behind the boots, the brand and the legacy.

We talk about the responsibility that comes with representing a name Australians genuinely feel connected to, the importance of staying true to your roots, and how R.M.Williams continues to honour its heritage while showing up for new generations.

This is more than a brand conversation. It is a conversation about identity, country, craftsmanship, community and the stories that live in the clothes we wear.

For anyone who loves Australian history, western lifestyle, country fashion, great storytelling or simply has a soft spot for a pair of R.M.s, this episode is one you do not want to miss.

Settle in for an incredible chat with Terry Goodear from R.M.Williams recorded on location at the equally iconic Man From Snowy River Bush Festival.

Follow Beyond the Buckle so you don’t miss the stories behind Australia’s biggest western events.

Hosted by Prue Houston, Rodeo Reporter with M5 Rodeo Promotions.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

This episode is proudly powered by M5 Radio Promotions. If you're chasing real radio, M5 is where you'll find it. Real cowboys, real competition, no fluff. Check out M5 Radio Promotions online to see where the next showdown is, and we'll see you at the shoes. Recorded on location at one of Australia's biggest Western events, we're bringing you the stories you don't even stand. I'm Frue Houston, Radio Reporter with M5 Radio Promotions, and this is Beyond the Buckle, the podcast where we go past the arena and into the stories, the people and the partnerships behind it all. And in this episode, you're getting a real look behind the scenes. So let's get into it. We're sitting here at the Man from Snowy River Bush Festival, where legacy isn't just talked about, it's lived. And today's guest represents a brand that has been part of that story for generations. From the stock roots to the main street, from the first boots to lifelong memories, I'm joined by Terry Goodyear from RM Williams, a man who doesn't just work for the brand, he carries its stories. Terry, welcome to Beyond the Buckle.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

Thank you so much, everyone. Joy to be here on this beautiful day.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Isn't it? We are blessed with some fabulous weather. Obviously, it's my first time at the event, but I am absolutely thrilled with everything so far. A little bit of rain last night, but it didn't hurt us too much.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

A little bit of cold in that, but um it breaks into lovely days.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

So there's no cold weather, just bad clothing.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

That's it, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Yeah, exactly. Well, Terry, we're thrilled that you could jump in with this little conversation on our podcast launch, and we're really excited to be doing it up here because we get to meet people like you that are at the festival. So why don't you just tell the listeners maybe a little bit about who you are and how you fit into the RM Williams brand?

SPEAKER_00 1:42

Yes, thank you. I um I'm very, very fortunate in in the the couple of roles that I've been in with with RMs. At the moment, my title is the RM Ambassador. Yes. I've been around and within the company for what 25 years. I I had the uh I had the honor to know R RM Reg. I actually carried on carried him in his funeral on the horse-drawn vehicle, which was which is w you know was quite an honor and quite an experience to be part of you know a legendary Australian Bushman's story. So a lot of my role with the company is is around the heritage, which really I'm happy with because I I really work hard that that we stay true to our DNA, which is the bush, which is our heritage and those things associated with it. Uh we have a lovely museum, albeit a little bit small, at Percy Street in Prospect, and that's where RM started and built the company from there, the factory. He got too big for there. But that's where it all started, with him mainly making gear for the Australian stockman. He he he did certain things for rodeo and that sort of stuff, and we we have some of those lovely things, uh artifacts in our museum. Even going back to the old satin shirts with the press studs that we have in the LG slipping. And that was the sort of style that's all back in now, isn't it? That's right. We've got some beautiful shirts like that. Yeah, but we wouldn't be, people wouldn't look at us today that would be uh producing something like that. But that's the link we had, yeah, um, particularly with rodeo. Obviously, the company was very linked to the stockmen and those working on the land and a lot of the gear that we used to make was all related to the e-coin, to the horse, from the pack saddles to hobbles to to water bags to saddlebags, all of those requirements that the the ringers and the stockmen needed. Obviously, life's changed today. It's a lot different and moved on. So it's probably not a big part of our product range today. Yeah. But we're still known for our quality and especially our boots. We're known worldwide for the quality of our boots, which are made in South Australia and Adelaide, and that will always remain the case. We we have more people employed in the factory, yeah, uh in the whole company. That's it. True marine will go representation of uh where we are in today in 2026. Now we're six years away from celebrating our hundredth anniversary. Wow, um, and that'll be 32 when the Olympics come to Brisbane. Uh the Sydney Harbour Bridge will celebrate its 100th. And and for us, it's our hundredth, our centenary year. So that's very special for a company like ours. Something that a man started. As I probably describe RM, who was uh a man who became a brand, who then became a legend, and and and what he started and and what it what is today, and the passion we're all our people within the company is tremendous, and the desire to do the right thing and maintain that quality that we've known for. Uh people look upon us and rely on us for our quality of product and our quality of people, which is um which I I think is something we wear with pride.

SPEAKER_01 5:26

Absolutely. You you were described in some of my research as the keeper of the stories, and I'm now starting to understand that that is coming just naturally to you. Like, is that something that you feel is a big responsibility?

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Yeah, I I don't I I I don't think it's too deeply about that, but I I do like to make sure that some of these stories passed on, and especially obviously the within our company of having a lot of the the younger generation coming through and not fully understanding probably the bush and what you know I know and you know, but if you go back not many years, you know, kids on school holidays would be sent up to grandma and grandpa's place, up to the grandparents' their farm, and they would be they they would be introduced to the country farming horses, cattle, sheep, dogs, and everything else. They would be they they would get a taste of that and then go back to the city. Unfortunately, I don't think many kids have that opportunity today. No, it's a different world. So I I think it's important that we still we we can relate back and particularly through our company and some of the stories that are there, but yeah, and some of the way we do things and why we do it. I I I talk about our DNA, and that's very much the bush. What we call today the heartland, I still call it the bush.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

And that's what we grew out of. And for all the right reasons, yeah, I'm not saying we're gonna make saddlebags again or or or hobbles again or anything like that, but as long as uh we have that taste of the bush was said to me as something that I I think is very relevant for us is that there's two kinds of people in this country. There's the saltwater people who live close to the coast, and the freshwater people. We're freshwater, but we deal in the salt water.

SPEAKER_01 7:24

And I like that.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Australia has what 11 million people in regional and rural Australia out of the 27 million. So the the heartland's very, very important to us. Because the majority of those people know us, the older ones, and and still wear our product with pride, a lot going back is they'd be working in the yards and in the paddock and in our gear and all of that. And do they today? No. But when they when they're going to the country races or they're going to the city to see the dog or their lawyer or whatever they're doing, they put their Sunday best on, which is normally RMs from boots to from head to toe. Yeah. And obviously with a Kubra, who's part of our family. Well, we're an Aussie brand, they can deck you out head to toe, and there's not many can say that.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:13

And we say that with pride, and you know, what is the Australian uniform? You know, you can look overseas and you can talk about how different nationalities and that dress, but when it what comes to mind when you're when you're talking Aussies. So I've been very privileged to be able to travel around and make so many long-term friends. Yeah. And it's not just in the equine word.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

It's um funny you mentioned the the heartland reference because part of your title is that you're the heritage and heartland. Headlands, and I think you wouldn't come across too many businesses in Australia that giving someone that title. It's a privilege, and obviously, you know, it sh it just show it goes to show the uniqueness of RM. But you know, how do you sort of see that actually working day to day as your role?

SPEAKER_00 9:06

That was actually meeting. That was introduced with our last owners, right?

SPEAKER_02 9:11

Who's gonna an equity group?

SPEAKER_00 9:15

So it was a lot of offshore money and all of that sort of thing. But I I felt so proud about that at the time when that change took place. That the CEO in that time called me in. He wanted me to be that. Maybe that's because I was the only one with grey hair around the place. But nevertheless, then they they struck the head of uh Heritage Heartland Marketing. It was the biggest title in the company, and I thought that's a ripper. I'll need a A4 business card to fit it on there.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

And the parking spots is incredible.

SPEAKER_00 9:49

So I got none of that. But yeah, for for somebody coming in and picking up very quickly the importance of our heritage and our history and our DNA, then to then to make a position, put a position in place and have someone be responsible for that. I thought that was fantastic. Not because it was me, but because that decision was made at a high level. So yes, that that's that that's great. But day to day it's dealing with with our artifacts and that that we have in storage. We have our museum, but we get a lot of other stuff offered to us or donated, and that there's there's a lot of that happens. We do keep an eye on Facebook and those places in case something comes up for sale that is of historical value to us.

SPEAKER_02 10:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:42

So we'll jump on that, which I think is important because we don't want to lose some of those things, and if we can maintain that, like the our boots, if we talk about our boots and everyone knows the laughing sided, elastic sided boots and the stories, and it was a number of years ago. We have a lot of people say, Oh, my grandfather's had these for 50 and 20 years and so, and we had all that, and then we thought, well, why don't we try and find, if possible, the oldest pair of RMs in Australia? So we went about and we promoted it through our Longhorn Express at the time. We had the big semi running around the country, and whatever towns we went to, we promoted it. It was really picked up by the radio stations and that sort of thing. And we're getting a lot of entries in. We didn't, I didn't want the boots because I I know how valuable, sentimental value to most people they are, but just a story because every bit of one of our artifacts comes with a story, and that's the beauty of it. Amazing. It may not be the old saddle or the old pair of boots, the bloody story that goes with it. And we started getting a lot of entries. I got one from North Queensland, and most of them were handwritten. And it wasn't the winning entry, but it was just such a lovely letter. And the chap wrote, he said, My brother and I used to go shooting to get pelts to sell to raise money so we could buy ourselves a pair of RM boots each. He said, I we finally got enough money together and we got the boots through our mail order, because we're doing mail order in those days. And he said, We got the boots there, and we wore them to the local dance at the hall on the Saturday night. And he said, What was it, 48 years later? I have those boots and the girl I met that night. Oh and you go, Oh, Crikey, oh, you're not within that's too tough. No, it's just, but it does show you, doesn't it, the relationship with that? And and and a a lot of other, yeah. I had one young bloke he wrote it, he said, Oh, mine's probably not the oldest, but I had the misfortune of um having my house broken into and my RMs were stolen. And I thought, you know, the poor bugger, he valued them so much. He said, It wasn't just the boots, he said, that's where I hid all my money. So that that's the sort of uh stories that we got. We got a lovely, lovely number of stories.

SPEAKER_01 13:12

And what ended up being the oldest pair?

SPEAKER_00 13:14

The oldest pair was about 52, 53 year old.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

And this lady said a minute was her grandfather's, so they're quite old boots, and we could uh to to date them, we could look at the leather type. Our people in the boot room can can uh judge what type of leather and how old. And the stitching. The stitching in this boot, the pitch on the stitches is very, very fine compared to what the the more modern day boots are, and looked at in the style of boot, yeah, because it wasn't the craftsman, the craftsman didn't didn't come into play until about 1966. Right. So that was well before that. Some people thought they had the oldest boots and they were craftsmen, but craftsman just wasn't old enough, you know. And and and Reg and M started with the the more of the riding boot, the Bushman is as it was called, they got known for. And this was a Bushman's boot, but it was size five and a half. Because we've got to remember that going back that long, people weren't as big as they are today. That's incredible. And that that was basically the average size in our range, and and and talking to others, like jeans were size 28. Yeah, that was the average size. Today, I think we're a bit over 38. And and now, especially we we have boots now, we're known because of the length in our size and the width, because we make width fittings. But see, now we have H fit, which is so wide, and then we go out to a Tambo, which is wider. And it's just people are you know, it's like our animals. They're eating better and they're they're growing bigger and and and such. So those boots were yeah, they were they were judged the oldest, and he used to break horses in for kidman and co.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Wow, so okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

That sort of association that that's that there was nice. Um, but it was a real eye-opener to say, well, yeah, of course they'd be size five, five and a half.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

I did not know that. I mean, I knew this the clothing sizes had changed over the years, but I'm just trying to imagine, yeah, men with five and a half sizes.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

That's right. Exactly right. Wow. But it's probably like our horses, and you know, with my horses and I've got big horses and that sort of stuff. But yeah, eight eighteen, nineteen hand horses. But when you go back when horses were actually working on the roads, they weren't that big. You know, they they were not that big. Um they were too big to feed, they didn't want to feed them, but it it shows you we're the same because we're eating a lot better, aren't we? Our horses are our stock are eating a lot better. True, true.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Um wow, it's an incredible responsibility, I guess, that comes with representing so many stories and so much history. Do you find that you have to sort of be mindful of protecting the history but also think about how to keep it moving into the future?

SPEAKER_00 16:01

That that that that that's so true. I uh you know, I never want to sit there and bang on the table about we shouldn't do this, we shouldn't do that, because Reg didn't do it. Uh, we'd still have lace-up boots. Right. But I I I what I'd like to always be is the conscience sitting over here and and keeping the bastards honest in as much of what they're doing and understand. But in saying that, it's a great source of inspiration for our product development people to look back. And at the moment, we've got um Cloudbuster range out, and that's a bucking horse, not Curio. We know for Curio, but Cloudbuster was another bucking horse that was probably famous to us because of the print of the poster and all that sort of stuff. But putting that back on t-shirts and buckles and that, it's taken off. But there's an example of our our history, yes. In in the modern day, and yeah, sure, it might be the young ones walking down George Street Sydney or or Burke Street in Melbourne with that shirt on, but that's it. So it's it's understanding and being that that little reminder in the room without you know posing down their enthusiasm of which they want to do and and how we do things with our marketing and that. I had um I had the occasion, I had to be over for in Austin, Texas. They opened a store over there, and I went over there for a uh to speak with media and the locals and that sort of stuff, and one asked me, said RM Williams. That's a good name. And I said, Well, actually, it's was an actual person. And and then tell them the story, it was the man who came around and lead. They were blown away because of it was genuine, it was real, it wasn't it wasn't something dreamt up in a marketing room that was a real man, and then suddenly that sort of respect shown of what we were continuing to do.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

It humanizes the whole thing, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_00 18:04

It does, doesn't it? And and it's probably not unlike things with with rodeo or cam draft and all those other sports that those legends in those sports are things that we look back today and and say, well, right. But yeah, things have changed, but by Crikey, uh it's all pretty good.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Yeah, and a lot of you know, the everything old is new again, yeah, it rolls around in cycles, and and you can see that that nostalgia and that retro stuff coming back. That's no wonder that print is being snapped up now by the kids.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

We've got these wide and they they're not flares with their wide bottom jeans for the girls now, yeah. And that's that that's when they love them now. Absolutely, their RM's 100%. The style like out with our boots for the for the ladies, and we have a a small line dedicated to to that, and that's where the product development uh team work so hard at, but always maintaining that quality of footwear. Absolutely. Yeah, it's it's it's great to to to walk amongst those people in the factory in Salisbury in our workshop. Um the passion in there. Um our boots go through 82 um customer quality control. Yeah, every one of those is a quality control person because if they see something wrong with the boot, yeah, that's where it stops.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

I just don't think you hear about that these days. Everyone's looking for shortcuts and faster ways to do things. I mean, it's actually so brilliant, and it gives me hope for you know that sort of thing happening more in Australia.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

And when you think and you you get your boots, and I know you know that they've gone up in cost, and uh, RM was all about originally that a pair of Heast boots would be the same or just under the the the national wage, weekly wage, which I think we still we still are to this day. But you can still get them repaired, you still get them resold. If you look after, because our the our boots are unique because they're one piece of top leather, they only have that one seam down the back. As long as that's okay, we can fix the rest, the elastics, the tugs, the sole, and all of that. So when you go and see those people working in the repair room, it's incredible because they take your old bashed up, old boots worn out, hot big holes in the sink, and suddenly you get these beautiful new boots that are broken in and comfortable and have character.

SPEAKER_01 20:31

And it's the idea of something lasting, that's it, not just that impulse buy and that, you know, oh, I like that, and grabbing a cheap option. I mean, it's as you said, you know, these boots are built to last for the lifetime.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

It's and and I think and I think a lot of people want that, but some have to wait a while to afford it, which is okay, we're all in that same boat with different things, but then going back to that's something that we've got to uh protect and maintain. Yeah. Or we'll be letting those people down and and those before them.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

That's beautiful. Being here at the festival, RM Williams obviously get involved in a lot of events and things like this. What is it about coming to something like Man from Snowy River that still really matters to RM Williams?

SPEAKER_00 21:20

We we've been associated with this event for over 15 years. And a lot of our approach, especially with the Heartland and ours, with the partnerships, as they call it in our sponsorships, is that to to partner with whatever organization or group or such. Now, obviously, this lends very much to our people, the Heartland, the Bush people, but it's also a bit like the royal shows where the where the country comes to the city. This is where the city comes to the country. And you've only got to drive around this town and the amount of caravans and everything that's set up and the miles that people travel. And I know this year's probably been a little bit tough because of the the fuel prices but by crike I can't see any gaps in the in the caravan park. No. People have made their mind up and booked last year and and and they're all here. But important to us is not all only be an iconic Australian event being that this one. Obviously it ties to our history with the poem and and such and that romance of that but really here this is a stockman's challenge. This is testing man, woman and beast to the highest level. To what they have to achieve to get to the final tonight that the 10 finalists will be named so they can they can compete tomorrow just to get to that crikey that's an achievement. Absolutely it's like RM used to say with the endurance ride he was big on the endurance ride and he he judged a man about riding a hundred mile in in in 24 hours and and now I think they're doing it in about nine hours you know these people but they're not they're not using stock saddles either yeah but here like the test the the the craft this has changed so much how people deal and break horses and you know I'm not one to talk about breaking I'm talking more about educating and do that. But these talented people here the way they with their animals whether they're doing a show or something but just they're just demonstrating the skills that have grown out of out of the bush. It's that's not campdraft and you've got to do an element of everything. You know from packing a pack saddle and taking it through its course oh that's easy yeah you try it.

SPEAKER_01 23:35

Yeah I've watched it actually we're sitting next to the bearback arena and you know like yes there's a 13 year old girl out there bearback yes whipping around this course is is like it's second nature which it is a phenomenal spot to sit and see all age groups just absolutely think you know working their way through this course and it's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 23:59

And obviously you know that that takes bloody time yeah and they spend the time and they inject the time and to see the young ones and say well you know we've got nothing to worry about in this country that that this will carry on.

SPEAKER_02 24:12

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

You know and we've got some great horsemen here that that um you know they're chasing and good on them you know chase them. Yeah chase be better than them and that's what we'd like to partner with and that's what we we'd like to support and and how we do that we try and do it in different ways of how best to do it. How can we do it better next year and and we we sit down after an event like this we'll sit down with the board and say right you know that was fantastic what can we do and obviously they're looking and and I've certainly been one to notice after the time of coming down here for 15 years that that this has improved dramatically from s since I was coming down to what it is today. And it's just great you you look at the crowds here yesterday there was 27,000 people here come through that gate. That's it. And then you look at Riley's ride which they do the reenactment Riley's ride plus the reenactment like that was packed. Yeah it was standing room early.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

I'm actually amazed at the dedication people have moving around this festival they know exactly where they're going they know what and there's a calmness here even though there's that many people it's very calm very relaxed people are moving to see different events and I can see the appeal I I mean it like I said my first year but and that's the thing for for us to be associated with it's important that we we're associated with a quality event because of what we do.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

Absolutely and that's what this is the families the kids the oldest whatever but touch wood it's never trouble. No everyone's friendly everyone's saying good day and then you're trying to work out do you know them or they just say good day. But that that's the Aussie thing in places like this everyone's friendly up for a chat you can be standing in the cold with your back to the fire there and suddenly you meet somebody that you know for the rest of your life.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

But easy to chat to and everyone was just you know they're really all here for a good time.

SPEAKER_00 26:15

And that's where it's important for us and you know from from from our senior management our CEO Paul Grossman down is that it's important for us to be turning up at places like this. And sometimes the times are hard and it's not that long ago there's a bushfire down here that affected people and there's times with floods and you know we have a flood I come from Queensland and we have a flood up there but now we're only one day closer to a drought and that's that's the way it is that's the bush. It's if if you can't if you can't handle a drought or a flood or a bushfire well don't go to the bush. Yeah but you know and that's great and like I was running to a mate the other day who's from Longreach and he said you should see Long Reach at the moment is green as green. It's like down here is just lovely at the moment and I said he said it's mate it's just so green up there because of the rain that they've had and everything I said I suppose it's time to sell the property when it looks like that. Yeah no let's get some good photos at least that's the great thing with the with Australia. Yeah and for us you you know you from from our involvement in WA and our activation we have the drover over there that travels around to the to the the various events um similar to what we've got here is the hut. Yes and we take that around and the the hut there it doesn't have any apparel in it. We do sell out of it but it's more about the message of what our craftsmen trust people do at the factory at the workshop in Adelaide that people know that you know I think we're up about 83% of our product is made there. Yeah um and the talent that's there to make that like you just can't pull a person off the street and start making boots. It's the same as our craft area with the and I've had people say oh what sort of machine plaits belts and whips I said I'd like to see it. Our machine are people you know that but those people in Adelaide that learn that and see when we get new platters in there I think you know they've got a three month four month training period until their belt or whip is acceptable to be put in our range.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

Is it generational do people get their like fat lected family pass on these skills within the factory or do you think I think there's been a gap right from the oldest now to the youngest but the there's a lot of young ones really keen to pick up these skills.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

And I find that and you would have also that the young ones seem to be very keen to about our history and you look at Anzac Day and those things they seem to want to be more involved and understand it more and I see that like with the with the with our thing with the whip cracking which we're very close to that organization Australian whip platters and crackers the the the little attackers that get out there with a whip they're absolutely fantastic. But then you see them come on and they want to learn how to plait that whip and and that's something that's um is really good for us because then we can call upon the we've got a young young girl there that drives what she drives three hours a day over an hour and a half near Murray Bridge in South Australia to our factory in Salisbury every day backwards and forwards and she is one of our platters. And she wouldn't swap that for quids that is some dedication that is dedication and and and that that sort of thing is through our our our workshop.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

If you're loving this episode don't keep it to yourself send it to a mate share it on your socials hit follow or even better drop us a review it helps us keep showing up and bringing you more from this Western world we all love. Okay now let's get back into it. Going back to the hut there I hate I I was thinking you know it's not just that retail setup it is the experience that you're trying to create do you have a moment that kind of sticks out for you that you've had within within the hut yeah there there's that when we're sitting down and looking at that concept and coming up with that and you'll notice the hut has two bench seats out on the veranda.

SPEAKER_00 30:22

They're great because they have carry a bit of storage but I really wanted that because knowing RM and if you went up to his place and visited and you sat around the kitchen table and you have to have a cup of tea and all that sort of thing. But if he was here I always thought that you know it if he was alive he'd be sitting on one of those fence seats plattering something having a yak with you and then giving the kids whatever he platted. So I thought that little bit of DNA in there is like that. And that's what happens that we have so many people come in that take a rest the old ones have a rest but then they want to tell you a story about their RMs or or or something associated with the business or or or an experience and all of that. I get old cowboys that come in and talk about the Rough Riders Association. You get the endurance people you get these all different from different walks of life because he did in he he did cross a lot of um di different walks of life and and he yeah it's and he's touched he touched a lot of people who still remember today. Yeah and they'll come into chat and and such but and and we try and do things in there with um the belt making and the embossing but uh a big role for for us there is the product knowledge because we find that a lot of people come in and say oh what can I do about my boot or what do I look after do you make this do you whatever and we can we can we can guide them down the right track. Where a lot of these people probably wouldn't walk into our retail store. But they trust you to walk in here and get the right info um which is great. So that that's a fantastic service. But one of the biggest things I do there and the other snow is oh can you punch another hole in my belt? And you go that's probably one of the easiest things you can do but so many people today don't have a whole punch don't have that and that and you know it's just a little thing like that they're so grateful and off they go. Absolutely and want to tell you what diet they're on and why they're getting two holes punched in their belt but you bet but you do and the people that come back and visit, you know, if if we're one of the major shows or here they come looking for you which is lovely.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

No that that is that's I I did pop up there this morning and I did find there was a few people just popping up you know for a bit of a chat on the deck there. Yeah yeah yeah exactly.

SPEAKER_00 32:45

But that's that's part of what it is and people a lot of people meet there oh where are you? I'll meet you at RM Hutt yeah which is great. And that's right. And you know we get people on there and and they might come on asking about how to look after their boots that are on our boots. But still we tell them how and that because that's part of what you do. Yeah and and and that that's something that I would I would love to see continue.

SPEAKER_01 33:08

Yeah well that um leads me into what I was thinking next is like the next generation and you're obviously you know schooling and educating the next generation in RM like are you feeling confident with the direction that the next generation is going to come through and carry that knowledge forward?

SPEAKER_00 33:26

Yes I I I I I am I and I think look it's it's something that you they're going to have to we're going to have to put some effort into of ensuring that but in in in programs they have internally and we have a a a lot of um a lot of that educating of of of our history and what we do and how we do it and why we do it. So that's in there people have got free access but also we've got a number of people around the place whether in the workshop or such it's not so much in the office but in those areas that have been part of the company for a long time. If if you go down to Adelaide in the in the canteen down there they got the big honor board up and I think the longest serving on that board is 50 years. And that was one bloke I know Tony Holden I said 50 years he said yeah I lied about my age he said I started here when I was 15. Oh wow I said how do you get to 50 but and then we got the 40 year olds and that sort of stuff it's absolutely incredible. And you know Arian wasn't around the factory all day every day because he has so many other things he was juggling a lot of balls in the air at certain times but there was never any doubt that the passion and the standard would be maintained and a lot of that was respect to the man.

SPEAKER_01 34:52

You know and that that but you just want to reach out and hold on to all of this so much. I don't feel like you just not don't see this in many brands. It's incredible.

SPEAKER_00 35:03

Yeah and that's that's a huge responsibility we have as as all of us as employees. Yeah and you know we've got lovely owners now like it's back as an Australian owned family owned company and that's what it started at and that's what it went through it went through some different ups and downs like probably most companies go through but by cricket we've come out this end we're not far off our centenary we've got we've got fantastic Australian owners who who are not buying the place to build it up to sell it but to and they inject the right type of funds where it's needed plus of being able to attract really talented people. And that's given us a real shot in the arm. Yeah and that's for uh that's for uh Ram and a Cubra too because you know both brands what we produce is a lot of hands-on and and a coupra up in Kempsey and that's where their factory is and their museum they've got their their place up there and it and that's that's the same they've got a a huge um role in the hands-on making yeah uh and that story uh kubra's actually older than RM's wow as a brand yeah yeah and certainly you know like you said keeping within that Aussie uniform and and and everything so and we we know we have the American style hats and clothing and all of that and that's fine there's nothing wrong with that and it's popular but also we've got the Aussie brands and and and gear that's popular also. Yeah definitely with RM you know sitting now pretty squarely you know within the bush and the city how do you find balancing those two kind of different markets works towards the credibility of the brand staying where you want it to yeah you look at it today and the the amount of young people that wear our boots especially boots and belts by Crikey everybody seems to have one of our belts on from cricket umpires in the test match to the boys in finance at Collins Dream That's right and the polys that wear our gear and that we don't give it to them they buy it but that's that's great you see it in the city that but then when you go out into regional Australia and and you know yourself you you you go to places like Duba or any of those large large cities and we can name them all and well normally I can but tooomba and places like that and and and you go into those places and they've got the big shopping centres like the city does and all of that but you've got so many professionals. No and they're then and those people out in the bush and we've got the talent out there especially through the agricultural businesses like the advancement there with that we've got so many high skilled professional people and they're not just farmers and they're not just cattlemen they're not just you know graziers or or or or in in in that area we expect to see them getting their hands dirty and and and up to their ankles in mud. Yes there's so many of those professionals out there male and female and obviously going back to that that those people understand through their roles and their business what quality means. Absolutely and then it comes back to oh I know their quality and I know they're Australian mate and I want to be part of that. Yeah so I think a lot of that's done for us through the fact that we are maintaining our reputation. Yes and you know I I know it's I'm if I'm out in the bush or something not so much in the city today but if someone said oh what do you do for a cross I just say I work for RMs I don't have to say Williams I don't have to say I just say I work for RMs oh right oh yeah I know you yeah yeah I know what you you know that sort of thing. You sell boots I said no not really but it it it it shows you how far and wide it's spread over so many years. Absolutely that people understand it and and you get people talk about you know I was overseas and I ran into this blog he had RMs on and I had to go up because I knew he'd be an Aussie. Do you know what I mean? Telltale sign exactly probably a bit like the Qantas kangaroo isn't it once you see it you feel like you're home.

SPEAKER_01 39:25

Yeah yeah definitely you mentioned it's been what 15 years you've been coming up to this festival so obviously apart from RMs you've you've got a personal con connection to the festival like what do you love the most about coming up here?

SPEAKER_00 39:39

My my background is horses right and heavy horses I've got stock horse and that sort of thing but geez I wouldn't ride it here in front of these blokes.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

You said 1819 hands something like that?

SPEAKER_00 39:51

Clyde sales see I have Clyde Stars in harness and um and and worked professionally prior to RMs with that I had the the um privilege of doing what I was doing as a horseman and being paid for it. Wow and so I have that connection as I get teased at time the big clumbers with the hairy legs but that that's obviously from a personal basis to see what takes place here and appreciate the the the the the the ability of these people look at the girls here crooky you know they there's nothing they can't do and nothing that they can't achieve and I'd look at a young lass the other day working Liberty with three horses and by Crocky I'd take my hat off to her and the way she was working them yeah and and she was Roman riding and then had one go through the middle and I've never seen that done before. Wow and just that and you say well isn't that great and and that's the nice thing you you see you see people here you look at Luke with his outback stockman and you've got um Guy McLean here and I think over the years you've seen them polish their their acts they polish themselves and she'll do the same next time I see her I bet you she presented very well very well and she presented very different she presented in a short dress skirt type thing in white total white wow I thought that's good that's she's she's looking at from outside the box. Yes and that's the sort of thing like you to understand what they've got to do on that from a personal side of things I thought this is a good thing for a company like RMs to support.

SPEAKER_01 41:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:33

And we have a close association with the the uh the Royal Agricultural Societies in each state where they have a program called Rural Achievers or Rural Ambassadors where they have competition from 18 to 26 year olds that are working in the bush and it goes back to those professionals and the young men and women who are who are in all different fields from PR to marketing to to to breeding. Yes fish whatever it's it's that sort of cross across the agricultural world. So we have a heavy involvement that which which sort of comes back to here a little bit you've got that connection and that's something we also support because of that link with our DNA and our heritage and and want to support those those younger ones that are that that are in the in the heartland that that it may be a bit tougher for them to get to where they have they want to get because not only opportunity but what they have around them and some of them just travel unbelievable miles to maintain yeah it's amazing. So so much dedication but yeah and you know you travel you travel around you know what it's like on the road it's yeah it it it's it's yeah you've got to get road tough as I call it just you've got to get road tough I'm such a newbie to all that but I do watch them even I mean these guys might do two or three rodeos in in a long weekend or something.

SPEAKER_01 42:57

I know I know um I'm in awe of that because yeah work horses absolutely taking a quick break here to thank our supporters the Man from Snowy River Bush Festival one of Australia's most iconic celebrations of horsemanship and western lifestyle and of course where this episode of Beyond the Buckle was recorded now let's get back to it. You're gonna have to put your marketing hat on for this one okay I would like to know oh goodness I've just lost my spot there okay so finish this sentence for me after our beautiful chat.

SPEAKER_00 43:28

Whoops you don't just wear RM Williams you live it beautiful and that's that's something I remind myself of that it's not just a job for me and I know it it probably sounds wanky and silly or whatever but it it's to me it's a lifestyle. For me traveling around people ask me uh what else do you wear? Do you have anything other than RMs? I said is there Um yeah, my shorts are thirty inch thirty-eight inch long. And and a shark's never gonna guess me get get a hold of me unless it's got gravel rash. But it's it's a lifestyle and it's it it's it's what the all these people here are like uh from rodeo to the drafters to all these people, it's their lifestyle.

SPEAKER_02 44:20

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

Um they put all their spare time into this. And you know, I hear people here they're volunteering. Like they've got 300 volunteers here, and then their committee, and I know one of the board members is four o'clock in the morning, races out to feed out for his cattle because he got affected by the bushfire, and then bang, back here by seven o'clock to do what he wants to do for his community, uh just lifestyle, and that's where I'm you know, it's it's it's it's lifestyle, yeah. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:52

It's beautiful. Uh we finish up this segment with a little thing. It's called the buckle list, and it's something that much as a play on words is the bucket list. But what would be something that you think if even personally, but with RM that you know is on the on the buckle list for you?

SPEAKER_00 45:11

For me and and and I would I I would suggest for the company is 2032 of how important that achievement of making a hundred years, but together with the Olympics being in the country, yeah. I I think that's that's a time that I think we we will be able to celebrate with a lot of pride um how we go about it, and I I'm sure everyone's starting to think about it now because we need to. But what is our involvement? You know, I I I would think we we will have involvement with the Olympics. We've had a long involvement with the Paralympics and supporting them, and I would see that would always continue and and and our role with the Olympians. A young girl said to me the other day, she said, Mr. Goodyear, do you think you could get whip cracking into the Olympics at Brisbane? And I went, actually, I hadn't thought about that, but I think it's a bloody good idea. They had the horses, uh they were cracking whips on the stock horses. Yeah. And see, they still talk about all those. And they had the whip cracking there, yeah. But she wants it there for competition. Oh, yeah. She wants to win the gold medal, she wants to win her buckle.

SPEAKER_01 46:31

I love that. That's like well, we were we I think we were chatting yesterday with Nicole McDonald from M5 Radio, and we were like, Olympics, let's just, you know, like pop some radios sporting. Why not?

SPEAKER_00 46:42

Yeah, you know, and that's that's going to be interesting that that because of the huge success of the Sydney Olympics. And you know, I was on site for a lot of that, not with RMs, but previous life. And why crooky, they delivered a fantastic Olympics. Everyone talks about it to this day. So poor old Brisbane, Queensland have got that to live up to. And I've got no doubt they will. You sort of worry a bit where they're doing this, and they're always talking about you know whether they're rolling up a rocky or whatever they're doing, but those things fall in place, and I've got no doubt that there'll be another Olympic Games that this country will and people will be very proud of. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, it's it's I and I think we'll, you know, being our centenary year, I think it's going to be hopefully a great year for the company and the people within the company. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:35

So good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 47:36

Well, Terry, I want to thank you so much for this wonderful chat. Not a pro I somehow feel pride about this brand that I don't even work for, but I think you've just painted the most beautiful picture of what you've built, and you obviously love what you do, and you live what you do, and I think that comes across in everything. And, you know, well done to you for maintaining such a beautiful story.

SPEAKER_00 47:58

It's very important, and we have a saying within the company that it's the people that make the company, and and that is so so true. All the people, not just today, but previously that contributed to this great brand. Absolutely. And we've got to carry it on.

SPEAKER_01 48:16

Well, you're doing it with pride, and I I it's been wonderful to chat to you today. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 48:20

Thank you so much for the invite.

SPEAKER_01 48:21

Great. That is it for this episode of Beyond the Buckle, recorded on location at some of Australia's biggest Western events, bringing you the stories you don't hear from the stands. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're following on your favourite podcast platform and on YouTube so you don't miss what's coming next, because the arena is only part of it. The rest happens beyond the buckle. You are an amazing speaker. I thoroughly enjoyed that, and I felt terrible looking down at my notes, but I just wanted to make sure I've got everything that I wanted to get from you. But that was a lovely conversation, and yeah, you should. I am not even joking, you should be incredibly proud of what you've got.

SPEAKER_00 49:01

It's like horses. If I start talking about a horse, I don't shut up. And it's probably when a bloke said to me once, it's that's because that's what you know, and that's what you're passionate about. And I think that's the same that because you're passionate about it, like it, you know, if I have to start making up things, or if if they give me a script and say, When you're in public, you've got to read that. I'll say, Yeah, I can't do that. Yeah. Because I'm I'll mess it up. I'll mess it up.

SPEAKER_01 49:25

Made my job so easy then because I, you know, just got to ask you some questions and then listen to some great stories.

SPEAKER_00 49:31

So yeah, and whether it was the absolute question that the company would want said or whatever, I it's not a problem. Because guess what?

SPEAKER_01 49:39

I'm gonna say it in the I think you represented beautifully and I was pretty easy, really, with them.

SPEAKER_00 49:45

It it's yeah, it's it's it's what the company is.