
Waiau-based fencer Amanda Beckham found her way onto the fenceline after finding herself needing work and chatting to a local at the pub. And three years on it’s a career change she hasn’t looked back.
Having left a farm assistant job that wasn’t working out, she managed to get work contract driving, but it was only seasonal.
“So, when hours started running out, a local guy at a social event said he knew a fencer looking for some part time help for a couple of months,” she said.
She rang the fencer – Amuri Basin contractor Hamish Henderson – who told her to come see him on his lunch break.
“He put me straight to work, then at the end of the day told me to ‘be here 7am tomorrow’, and I’ve worked for him full time since then.”
That was nearly three years ago now.
She enjoys fencing because it is challenging mentally and physically. “I also enjoy being outside all day – although not so much in the rain!”
“It’s also very satisfying to see the complete fence that you built.”
She also loves working with and learning more about the machinery.
The biggest challenge was probably the weather. “(It’s hard) when it’s hot a lot and there is no shade.”
The physical work of lifting gear and posts was hard, “but you get stronger the more you do it”. There were gender stereotypes that she came up against.
“It can be frustrating when males think I’m just a girl and too small, and feel the need to try and take over.”
“But now most of the farms we work on I know the managers and they know I’m fully capable.”
One thing she felt would be helpful to draw more women into the industry is if stalls at shows and trade days included more females on their site.
“There’s been couple times at shows guys on stalls don’t talk back to me, just my boss and the other worker.”
In her first year Amanda completed a Certificate in Fencing Level 3 course, attended FCANZ best practice days, and competed in the Kirwee Field Day fencing competitions – becoming the first female in the South Island to do so.
“I didn’t realize this when I signed up. We didn’t place anywhere but it was fun and I learned so much. All the guys were very encouraging.” Amanda is excited for the future in the industry, and where it could take her.
“I’d like to travel a bit so maybe a fencer general job in a new part of the country and hopefully one day my own business. My boss jokes all the time about when am I going to buy him out.”
Her boss, Hamish, is quick to sing her praises as a worker. “She has patience, hungry for the knowledge on how to fence. She has good communication skills with myself and clients to get jobs done.
“The day she met me for an interview, I gave her some staples to help me with a job. As I went down the line, she had turned all those staples to face one way which made grabbing them from her easy. I knew just from that simple task that she was going to be worth putting time into.
“As I worked, we talked and the more we talked the more she worked. She spent the whole day helping me put up a fence line while at an interview.”
Amanda was now taking on more responsibility as his 2IC. “So, if for any reason I’m not available, she is organising jobs. She also keeps up with paperwork, ordering materials, machinery maintenance and organising staff.”
He feels there’s room for more women in the industry and encouraged other contractors to “give everybody a go”.
Written by Rosa Watson
Published in the Women in the Industry Feature in WIRED Issue 68 | March 2023 by Fencing Contractors NZ
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