2022 marks the end of The Ernies, a much-publicised awards ceremony held in Sydney each year for the past thirty years which bestows 'awards' for sexist comments by high profile public figures. 

In recent years up to 200 people (but never the award recipients) have attended the event where winners are decided by the loudest boo. 

The final Ernie Awards were held at a glittering ceremony at Parliament House on 18 August. 

Like the Logies, they hand out just one Gold Ernie, as well as Silver Ernies in categories that include Media, Judicial, Political, Industrial, Sport (called the Warney), and the Clerical/Celebrity. 

There is also the The Elaine (For the remark least helpful to the sisterhood, named after Elaine Nile), the Good Ernie (for Boys behaving Better) and The Trump (for repeat offenders). 

Like the Oscars, organisers say few people will remember who the original Ernie really was, however, that is unlikely to be the case around the western plains where quite a few people knew Ernie Ecob and his family. 

Mr Ecob was born in Dubbo in 1930. His father was a Baptist Minister so the family moved around regional NSW. 

After leaving school he did a range of jobs in the rural industry, from rabbit trapping to shearing, which brought him to Coonamble where he met and married his wife Joan and had five children. 

Ernie Ecob in 1992.

In 1964 Ernie became an organiser with the AWU, the former Shearers Union. He worked for the trade union movement until his retirement and died in Sydney on 21 August 2000. 

Acknowledging his passing, Frank Mossfield MP member for Greenway, told NSW Parliament that Mr Ecob had also been involved in the DMR (Department of Main Roads), the Grain Elevator Board, the pastoral, construction, mining, greenkeeping, cotton and forestry industries.  

"Ernie was very proud of the awards negotiated by him for the building of the third Sydney airport runway, the Sydney Harbour tunnel and the Anzac Bridge," Mr Greenway said. 

"These three large projects all came in on time and under budget.  

"Ernie held the position of Vice-President of the New South Wales Trades and Labour Council from 1983 to 1985 and was President of the Trades and Labour Council from 1986 to 1988."  

"He was a dedicated union official and his members were always his first priority. He was also an active member of the Australian Labor Party and served on the New South Wales ALP administrative committee. He was awarded an AM for his services to the community and the trade union movement in 1988." 

While based in Coonamble, Mr Ecob hit the national headlines in 1980 for his role in the wide comb dispute which divided the shearing industry and, for a time, communities across inland NSW. 

It has been described as the "most violent chapter" in the industry's history.

An illustration of the traditional narrow combs (left) and wide combs (right). Source: https://historycooperative.org/journals/lab/90/images/omalley_fig02b.jpg

As AWU organiser Mr Ecob led opposition to proposed changes to the Federal Pastoral Industry Award to allow the use combs wider than 2.5 inches. 

Business and farming groups, as well as some shearers, supported the alteration of the award and the introduction of wider combs to boost productivity.

The dispute culminated in a 10-week national strike by shearers in 1983, and a notorious local stand-off between wool-producers, AWU members and an 'imported' team of shearers at the 'Woodside' shearing shed near Coonamble.

Shots were allegedly fired as wool-growers and police set up a protective barrier outside the shed, an all-night vigil against an attack by angry shearers. 

The dispute was eventually resolved by the decision of the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission to allow the use of the wide combs on shearing equipment across the country. 

The infamous Gold Ernie. PHOTO supplied.

While Mr Ecob is more famous in these parts for the wide comb controversy, in the cities he shot to fame for sexist remarks, including that “Women aren’t welcome in the shearing sheds. They’re only after the sex.” 

Little did he know that that throw-away line would see his name aligned with a women's rights extravaganza for the next three decades.

“Those of us involved in the trade union movement in NSW had battled with him on many occasions,” said the organisers. “So in May 1993 when he announced his resignation, Vicki Telfer from the CPSU suggested that we have a lunch to celebrate. And that’s how it all began.” 

“At that first lunch a trophy was awarded for ‘the most bestial remark of the year’. The trophy featured a miniature portrait of Ernie Ecob and a sheep rampant atop a brass plinth,” said one of the founding organisers. 

Guests were advised to wear a “good frock – something Ernie would approve of” and forty women came, suitably attired. 

“We all had a wonderful time and promised to repeat the exercise,” said founder Dr Meredith Burgmann. 

From there the Ernies grew, giving politicians, celebrities and other high profile figures an annual and highly publicised roasting for comments deemed misogynistic. 

This year there were 208 nominations in the six categories and, after one final night of fun, the women behind the event decided it was time to hang up their good frocks. 

“For thirty years we have toiled away exposing the sexism and foolishness of public figures,” Dr Bermann said. 

“It is hard work and, like Ash Barty, we would like to quit while on top.”