Apologies if this has been spotted before, but if it has been I missed it.

An article in the Deseret News (that's from Utah) April 19,1972.

This is a quite a lengthy story about the first posted world records in the Guinness Book of World Records. It mentions Vernon H. Morton as being 36 at the time, and Gaylor as throwing his record at a golf course in the U.K., on the Isle of Wight.

Hopefully this link will work for everybody:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19720419&id=XsdYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9H0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5444,4256809

Thanks for that interesting find. Are (or were) either of the gentlemen known personally by anyone on the forum?

Interesting that he says that Australian sheepherders used slings to herd their sheep. I've certainly never heard that before.

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Interesting that he says that Australian sheepherders used slings to herd their sheep. I've certainly never heard that before.

This would have to be the only written evidence of sling use in Australia. Ever.  (being very facetious ;) )

The different aboriginal nations are recorded as never having used slings, except in the north due to the South East Asian (SEA) influences .... I can only imagine European migrants, during settlement, as using them.... but who knows?

can't make out much detail, but here is a pic of an aboriginal man from Darwin using a sling http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/002733/

_K_

That was a great link, I didn't know about Australian use of the sling too!

"I'd like to see it included in the Olympics" - One Day.. One Day.

Yes, the timing and content were just right to attract the Australians ;D.

It is an interesting piece I think. I can only imagine the use in herding sheep being from an immigrant. From where, I wonder?

Kava: The aboriginal with a sling is a new one for me. I'm sure there must be some story behind that one.

In the early days of Australia many Afghan cameleers were brought in to drive the camel trains that were used to carry goods in the outback. (In fact the tourist train that runs through central Australia is still known as "The Ghan".) I can imagine these men being competent slingers, but white settlers would have used horses and dogs to round up sheep and cattle.

After these camel trains became redundant the camels were turned loose. As a result Australia has the largest (not sure if the only) herds of wild camels in the world.

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Kava: The aboriginal with a sling is a new one for me. I'm sure there must be some story behind that one.

yes, blame the Macassans.  ;)


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but white settlers would have used horses and dogs to round up sheep and cattle.

I would have to agree with this.


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After these camel trains became redundant the camels were turned loose. As a result Australia has the largest (not sure if the only) herds of wild camels in the world.

Many of the camels you see in the Middle East are Australian camels, they are imported because they are disease free..

it's interesting that the newspaper is from utah - where larry bray comes from. Wonder if it's that article that inspired a young larry bray to take up the sling in the first place.
:noidea:

Curious Aardvark wrote on Feb 27^th, 2013 at 8:12am:

it's interesting that the newspaper is from utah - where larry bray comes from. Wonder if it's that article that inspired a young larry bray to take up the sling in the first place. :noidea:

I wondered that myself. :)

It would be  the right kind of time, I suppose. I wonder if Mr. Bray still keeps an eye on this forum - perhaps he'll tell us.

That is a fantastic article, I love how everything he says is exactly what we would say today. Good find!  8-)

Aussie wrote on Feb 27^th, 2013 at 5:33am:

In the early days of Australia many Afghan cameleers...... I can imagine these men being competent slingers.

I could believe that. I've only ever met two Afghans, they were both 'city boys' from Kabul, but they both knew how to use a sling. Apparently snowball fights with slings were popular there.

David Morningstar wrote on Feb 27^th, 2013 at 10:20am:

That is a fantastic article, I love how everything he says is exactly what we would say today. Good find!  8-)

Thanks! I rather thought you had probably got there first :).

Could I ask who Melvin Gaynor is ? Wanderer seems to mention him as someone well known on this forum.

wanderer wrote on Feb 27^th, 2013 at 9:46am:

Curious Aardvark wrote on Feb 27th, 2013 at 8:12am: it's interesting that the newspaper is from utah - where larry bray comes from. Wonder if it's that article that inspired a young larry bray to take up the sling in the first place. :noidea: I wondered that myself. :) It would be  the right kind of time, I suppose. I wonder if Mr. Bray still keeps an eye on this forum - perhaps he'll tell us.

Not sure if larry does, but I did have his mums email address around somewhere.

Thearos wrote on Mar 1^st, 2013 at 5:55am:

Could I ask who Melvin Gaynor is ? Wanderer seems to mention him as someone well known on this forum.

He's the man credited with the first official (ie. Guinness Book) world record. It's recorded on the summary page on this site. I don't believe there is much more information about him than that. I had assumed he was American, but it seems not.

Gaynor/Gaylor umm? I thought Gaylor, but I could very easily be wrong. :)


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Not sure if larry does, but I did have his mums email address around somewhere.

There you go! ;D

Topic added to the PG's index.
Greetings,
Mauro.