The story of 90 years of wool classing between father & son begins in 1936, when a young boy by the name of Stanley James Hucker walked through the doors of the Gordon Technical School in Geelong. Born in 1921, Stanley was 15 years of age when he began his 3-year course in Wool Classing. 30 years later, Stanley’s second son Denis completed the same 3-year wool classing course. Beginning in 1966, Denis attended the same Gordon Technical School and walked the same halls as his father before him. Stanley finished his course in 1938. He went back to the family farm in Lake Bolac for a brief period before enrolling in the Second World War. At the completion of the war, Stanley returned home and married before gaining a soldier settler allotment, north of Willaura. This enabled Stan to use his wool classing knowledge. He ran between 1,500 and 2,000 sheep for many years, while his wool classer stencil also allowed him to go out and class at various sheds around the area. He held his stencil from 1938 until he retired at the age of 60 in 1981. On retirement, his second son Denis was working in the district, managing a local property while also leasing land himself. Upon his father’s retirement, Denis had the opportunity to lease his father’s farm, an opportunity he could not refuse. Denis had finished his wool classing course at the Gordon Technical School in 1968, graduating dux of his class. He began working with a local contractor and started classing wool in his team. Denis gained a great deal of experience working as part of this team in big sheds of up to 8 stands servicing between 10 & 20,000 sheep. It was not all smooth sailing for Denis however, and he soon learnt an important lesson. Class wool the way you’re taught, don’t listen to the owner standing over your shoulder. At a clip of Corriedales near Casterton, Denis was pushing too many fleeces into the line of fine wool. This resulted in a notice from the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX) “mixing counts too much, submit three clips for inspection”. Denis was able to submit 3 clips with no further complaints, however, this proved a valuable lesson he would never forget over his long career classing wool. In the early 1980s, when Denis was leasing two properties including his father’s, things were going well until drought struck. February 1983 was the date of the Ash Wednesday bushfires, and saw Melbourne have three days over 40 °C for only the second time on record. This period saw Denis give away farming, turning towards contracting work instead. After the difficult times of the early 1980s, the next two decades were a good time for the sheep industry. 15 micron wool was selling for prices between 4 to 5,000 cents per kilo, double what you’d expect for the same wool in 2022. In 1995 a single bale of wool sold for a million dollars. This was a good time for Denis too. His contracting work saw him employing local shearers and shed staff. His team was involved with the shearing and classing of more than 130,000 sheep. After 20 years of contracting, it was time for Denis to transition into the next phase of his life. He gave up independent contracting, preferring instead to return to being a member of someone else’s team. In 2018, having completed 50 years of wool classing, it was time to call it a day and retire completely. At the annual Gordon Wool School Old Students Association dinner held in 2018, Denis was presented with his 50 years as a registered wool classer stencil awarded by the Australian Wool Exchange (AWEX). This is a rare honour achieved by few. As of February 2020, a total of 430 wool classers had achieved this 50-year milestone. For Denis however, his proudest achievement is achieving 90 years of wool classing with his father. The National Wool Museum is proud to share the collection of objects gained from 90 years in the wool classing industry by Stanley and Denis. This ranges from Stanley’s first stencil and Wool Sample book, started when he first attended the Gordon in 1936. The collection concludes 90 years later with Denis’ 50 years of wool classing Stencil. The collection contains many more objects, all telling the story of these 90 years, and the hard work invested by this dedicated father and son duo.Large black bound book with ribbon for fastening containing 12 double-sided blue pages. Pages have several samples of shorn wool mounted and annotated to include information such as specific breeding, shearing faults, and geographical area. The book concludes with four pages without wool samples. Two of these pages relate to plans for a shearing shed and other industry related structures. The final two-pages relate to the anatomy of a sheep. Wool sample books were constructed by Wool Classing students at the Gordon Technical School as examples of what to look for when classing wool. The students were tasked with constructing these books with samples they retrieved themselves from several different farms and animals. The book would serve as a reference point for the wool classers throughout their years in the field, it was always on hand to refresh knowledge. This book was constructed by Stanley Hucker over his schooling at the Gordon between 1936 and 1938Front Cover. Handwritten, White Ink "Stanley Hucker / Samples"90 years wool classing between father & son, wool classing, gordon technical school

This object belongs to John GORDON who was born 18/02/1870. His next of Kin is Ada Gordon, wife. John Gordon served with the AAMC and was discharged in 22/03/1919. John Gordon was awarded the British War Medal.Victory Medal, British Medal & 1914-15 Starfirst world war (ww1), 1914 - 1918, medals, ballarat rsl, ballarat

This object belongs to John GORDON who was born 18/02/1870. His next of Kin is Ada Gordon, wife. John Gordon served with the AAMC and was discharged in 22/03/1919. John Gordon was awarded the British War Medal.medals, ballarat rsl, ballarat

Colour photograph"Written under photograph" Rex Bailey (Skip) and Gordon Chapman. Club Pairs Champions- 1981-82.

Steel, aluminium, plastic and copper. Transformer used to reduce current from 240 to 110 volt for use with tenetyps machine. Iten painted in non reflective grey. 6 electrical plugs on front.Label on back of item - Gordon & Joy Garbott. 64-66 Poldfett Street, Darystock. Vic 3992signals, transformer

To Allan and Jean Hughes on the occasion of their marriage from the minister Gordon G Powell 3-5-47stawell religion

An interesting document outlining the evolution of the tradition of pausing in silence for remembrance on 11 November each year. The account outlines how King George V decreed a two minute silence be held at the first anniversary of the Armistice - originally referred to as Peace Day. The events included a letter written by Edward George Honey, an Australian journalist, proposing the idea on 8 May 1919. In it part of it says: "Should not this be the spirit of at least a fragment of our Peace Day? Communion with the Glorious Dead who won us Peace, and from the communion new strength, hope and faith in the morrow, Church services, too, if you will, but in the street, the home, the theatre, anywhere, indeed, where Englishmen and their women chance to be, surely this five minutes of bitter-sweet silence there will be service enough. Before and afterwards, sing and make merry as we will. Of one thing, I am quite certain, and the tis that our songs will take a deeper, truer note after those five minutes of remembrance We will have gathered from them strength for the morrow. God knows we need it!" The document was produced by a committee that was proposing a memorial to Edward Honey to record his role. It was forwarded too H.G. Brain, presumably a Legatee who could bring this information to Legacy's attention. Items were in an envelope with other photos and programmes from different items relating to the Shrine of Remembrance - including discussions on its location and design. Labelled 'Shrine of Remembrance S1 - S14' it was part of an old archive numbering system, that showed there has been efforts in the past to collect, order and save items of Legacy's history. (01181 - 01190, 01206 - 01212).A record of a committee approaching Legacy about a memorial to the man who suggested the adoption of silence as a form of remembrance in 1919. Also there was an effort to record historical events by the "Archive Committee" which collected this and other documents relating to the Shrine together in a file (see items 01181 - 01190, 01206 - 01212)A thirteen page report typed on buff paper in a dark brown card cover, on a proposed memorial to Edward Honey. Also a letter dated 20 March 1964 from the Memorial Committee to Mr H G Brain that accompanied the report.Handwritten 'S13' in red pen on top left of of the letter which is signed Roy Gordon in blue ink. memorial, remembrance day

Robert GORDON Robert 'Andy' Gordon is a potter supplying ceramic wares to stores across Australia as well as exporting to Canada, the U.S.A. and New Zealand. to China. Robert and his wife Barbara started making pottery in 1979 in a tin shed at Gembrook in the Dandenongs, Victoria, which they called the Pack Track Pottery, selling their wares at the St Kilda markets. In 1987, they expanded to purpose-build premises in nearby Pakenham where they are still based today. Wares made at Pack Track Pottery are painted 'Robert Gordon' or 'Gordon' in oxide. Wares made at the Robert Gordon Pottery are stamped 'Robert Gordon Pottery Australia', 'Robert Gordon Pottery Australian Made' or 'Robert Gordon Australia'. Glazed potrobert gordon, australia studio pottery, ceramics, pack tack poyyert, pack tack pottery

Robert GORDON Robert 'Andy' Gordon is a potter supplying ceramic wares to stores across Australia as well as exporting to Canada, the U.S.A. and New Zealand. to China. Robert and his wife Barbara started making pottery in 1979 in a tin shed at Gembrook in the Dandenongs, Victoria, which they called the Pack Track Pottery, selling their wares at the St Kilda markets. In 1987, they expanded to purpose-build premises in nearby Pakenham where they are still based today. Wares made at Pack Track Pottery are painted 'Robert Gordon' or 'Gordon' in oxide. Wares made at the Robert Gordon Pottery are stamped 'Robert Gordon Pottery Australia', 'Robert Gordon Pottery Australian Made' or 'Robert Gordon Australia'. Glazed jug with cork stopperrobert gordon, australia studio pottery, ceramics, pack tack pottery, jug

Robert GORDON Robert 'Andy' Gordon is a potter supplying ceramic wares to stores across Australia as well as exporting to Canada, the U.S.A. and New Zealand. to China. Robert and his wife Barbara started making pottery in 1979 in a tin shed at Gembrook in the Dandenongs, Victoria, which they called the Pack Track Pottery, selling their wares at the St Kilda markets. In 1987, they expanded to purpose-build premises in nearby Pakenham where they are still based today. Wares made at Pack Track Pottery are painted 'Robert Gordon' or 'Gordon' in oxide. Wares made at the Robert Gordon Pottery are stamped 'Robert Gordon Pottery Australia', 'Robert Gordon Pottery Australian Made' or 'Robert Gordon Australia'. Glazed jugrobert gordon, australia studio pottery, ceramics, pack tack pottery, jug

Black and white photograph of Laura Gordon,Angela Crunden, G Garth, Karen Rosenboom and Dr. Jessie Wilson at opening of Barkwell House Lakes Entrance Victoriapublic health

Property sketches done for Frank Gordon Real Estate in the 1990s. 50 Edwards Avenue [Note: Caption says Edwards Street rather than Edwards Avenue]built environment - domestic, frank gordon & co, edwards avenue

Colour photograph of Gordon Whelan of Home Hardware Stock Street with Geoff Bassett from Loukes Electronics updating the stores computers Lakes Entrance Victoria 2000businesses, hardware

Viewed from Gordon Reserve adjacent to Parliament House. The Gordon Fountain in foreground.Digital TIFF file Scan of 35mm Ilford FP3 black and white transparencygordon fountain, gordon reserve, hotel windsor, melbourne, parliament house, spring street

Black pocket with gold and red embroidered motif with 'Rifle Club Ringwood' within scrolls. Crossed rifles on white square and crown above. +Additional Keywords: Harkin, Gordon

Refer also to Cat No 3551.3.Gordon TILL's personal service history as a Signaller in 1/8 Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment WWI & 1st Mobile Coy, Australian Forces WWII. 36 pages.document, service, both wars

East Ringwood Progress Association Community Fair Junior Art Competition results in 1960. Winners were Lyn Gordon, Helen Buchanan, Christine Tripovich and Y Peters.

Colour photo of Alexandra Fountain, View Street, Bendigo - taken April 2001 - looking north to View Street - source Gordon & Wendy Willa, Deakin St LockingtonWendy Willaphotograph, streetscape, bendigo, alexandra fountain , view street , bendigo