It's 1956 and in the heat of February seven shepherds, a pack train and 40 dogs drove 4000 ewes from remote Bluff Station, 90 kilometres down the back country to Kekerengu for shearing.

It's 1956 and in the heat of February seven shepherds, a pack train and 40 dogs drove 4000 ewes from remote Bluff Station, 90 kilometres down the back country to Kekerengu for shearing.

Listen to this vintage audio recording from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision

Narrated by Bruce Petrie and recorded using one of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service's then new portable tape recorders, this programme is an early example of a radio documentary using actuality recorded in the field.

Click here to hear the full 58-minute audio documentary on the Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision website.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details