James Harker-Mortlock, of Blackburn Estate on Cooks Hill Road, is a busy man.
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He tackles life head on, runs a business and is actively involved in politics.
Now, at 57, he is showing no signs of slowing, quite the opposite in fact.
Originally from Strathfield, James studied Arts, majoring in English Language and Literature, at Sydney University. He worked on the student representative council with old friend Tony Abbott and graduated not long after that.
Immediately following, he moved to Canberra and began work with the federal secretariat of the Liberal party before returning to Sydney and opening his own book store in Glebe in 1981. The shop catered specifically to students. In 1983 and 84 he ran as the Liberal candidate in Parramatta and Sydney respectively but was defeated in what were strong ALP seats.
“I knew I would never be elected,” James revealed to the Tribune.
“For me it was all about campaigning and getting that experience within politics.”
He then moved away from that and focused everything on a career in electronic publishing, which coincided perfectly with the introduction of the internet.
He worked with the Dow Jones and the Standard and Poors (S&P) corporations and collected and sourced data for them. He was given a salary based on how well he performed. Before long he was heading a team of around 20 employees based both in Australia and London.
“It turned into a pretty big operation. There was the office here and the one in London. I was sort of all over the place.
“It was a lot of work but definitely something that was worth it.”
In 2005 James relocated to Yass, and in 2007 he bought Blackburn Estate.
It was at this point that he sold much of his electronic publishing business and focused mainly on life on the land and his new found love, Blackburn.
“The house went on sale at just the right time and I had always dreamed of living in a place like this, I have loved it ever since.”
James says another thing he likes about Blackburn is the guests that it brings.
“We have had a number of well-known musicians record here. They love how quiet it is, and also the acoustics of the hall are great as well.”
Blackburn hosts writing groups, school excursions and special events, such as the one on Australia Day this year.
Over the past five to six years James has worked mainly on the land with his own sheep and is now getting into horse agistment.
But in his office just inside, he is buying back into electronic publishing. It is all starting again.
“I had pretty much sold everything and I was mainly focused on sheep and Blackburn, I won a prize for the best fat lamb in Yass in 2008 by the way,” he joked.
“But yes, now I am buying back in and definitely enjoying it so far.”
Work on Blackburn, plus his newfound business endeavour, would seem like enough to handle but James hasn’t abandoned his other passion, politics.
He is currently chairman of the National party in the Burrinjuck electorate and is also on the central council of the National party in NSW.
He also plans on finishing his book, titled the ‘History of the speakers of the House of Representatives’.
And to add yet another string to his bow he has now become vocal on the board for a charity group, Australian Desert Expeditions. This group completes scientific and ecological survey expeditions into remote regions of Australia.
“I’ve been on a few expeditions, out in the Simpson Desert. I recommend it to anyone, it’s great to get away,” James told the Tribune.
James says his life at Blackburn is wonderful and he says maintaining the property and working there is both an obligation and something he loves.
And let’s be honest, it’s not a bad office at all.
