A Tasmanian Life

Clare McShane moved to Tasmania as a teenager and after studying teaching was posted to Oatlands, a move she thought would be temporary. Instead, she married local grazier Allan McShane and settled at Casaveen, a property farming 11,000 sheep at Lemont. Clare became the Director of Casaveen Holding Company and Tasmanian Quality Wool, and established Casaveen Knitwear in 1989 as an adjunct to the operation of the sheep property. Casaveen Knitwear was started with one bale of wool producing 130 garments. Clare designed and initially knitted all the garments, which were sold around Australia at shows and field days. Casaveen expanded and provided much-needed jobs in Oatland. It was an award-winning company that received many accolades including the 1994 Tsuneichi Fuji Fellowship Trust Award, the 1999 Telstra Tasmanian Small Business Award, the 2000 Australian Family Business of the Year Award and the 2000 Family Business Australia First Generation Award. Clare retired from the business and Casaveen Knitwear closed its doors in 2016.

Clare has served on many advisory boards and committees. She has been a member of the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Tasmanian Quality Wool, an advisor to the Tasmanian Communities Online Advisory Group and an advisor to the Women and Information Taskforce. Clare has received numerous personal accolades for her achievements including the 1994 Advance Australia Award, the 1996 Telstra Tasmanian Business Woman of the Year, the 1997 Telstra Tasmanian Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year, the 1998 Tasmanian Rural Achiever of the Year and the 2004 Bruce Forster Laincot Memorial Award for exemplary service to the merino wool and sheep industry.