This catalogue was produced by the South Australian wool auctioning company Elders, Smith & Co. Ltd. It accompanied their celebration of a century of wool sales in 1978. The first wool auction in South Australia took place at Elders a century earlier, on the 15th of October 1878. It was covered in detail by The South Australian Register. At the sale, 1976 bales of wool were offered in what was the beginning of the wool storage and brokerage system in South Australia. Elders, Smith & Co. was established in 1839 by Alexander Lang Elder. Born in 1815 in Scotland, he moved to Australia at age 24 and set up Elders in Port Adelaide. Interestingly, the company’s original site is now the South Australian Maritime Museum. Elders’ business partner was Robert Barr Smith. Also born in Scotland, he moved to Australia in 1854 at the age of 30. Smith was an important part of the Company’s first wool sale. Smith made statements at the auction for South Australia to have a proper wool industry; with a purpose-built wool store, auction house and for the state to be able to supply its own products. This was met with a “Hear, hear” from the crowd at the auction. This statement is reflected upon within the catalogue. The catalogue itself also contains images of the company’s first wool auction, an outside image of Elder’s Wool Warehouse in Port Adelaide as well as an image of the Show Floor inside of this Port Adelaide warehouse. The catalogue also contains a quote from Elders’ Wool Manager for Victoria and Riverina, Murray Jewster. He discusses how the company is proud of its history and looking forward to its future in assisting both wool buyers and sellers. The quote also highlights Elders shift from being an Adelaide focused business, growing to span the width of Australia. 4 page booklet. Yellow paper with black and red print.south australian wool auctioning, elders smith & co. ltd., south australian wool producing, alexander lang elder, robert barr smith

Collector says: "This pair of Physician blankets was found at the Mission op shop in Blackburn South. I remember having such a lovely chat with the solo staff member there as we shared some blanket appreciation, a regular occurence when rehoming a relinquished blanket."Collector's note: "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from."Queen sized checked blanket, corn and bluePhysician Blankets/Pure Virgin Lambswool/Mothproofed/Made in Australiawool, blanket, blanket fever, physician, collins bros, geelong

Collector says: "This pair of Physician blankets was found at the Mission op shop in Blackburn South. I remember having such a lovely chat with the solo staff member there as we shared some blanket appreciation, a regular occurrence when rehoming a relinquished blanket."Collector's note: "For more than 100 years blankets were made all over Australia in over 100 woollen mills. My aim, is to preserve 100 examples of these wonderful pieces of history. Ten years ago I started collecting the iconic Onkaparinga travel rugs, so that on movie nights at home there would be plenty to go around. Everyone had their favourite; even the cat had his own – a small red tartan one. Keeping an eye out for those travel rugs at op-shops and markets, collectable stores and bazaars, led to noticing vintage blankets. I'd never really thought about them before or paid much attention though of course I had grown up with them at my grandmother's. When I discovered my first Laconia cream blanket with blue stripes, my eyes just went gaga. Well that was it, I was hooked and since then over 500 blankets have passed through my hands. These common, everyday items, found in all households for so many decades, were traditional engagement gifts. Pairs were prized wedding presents turning into family heirlooms. They were fashionable dressers of beds, givers of warmth, bestowers of security and reliability. The comfort found in these objects resonates with almost all of us; we grew up with them ourselves or fondly recall them in a grandparent’s home. There is no modern replacement with the integrity of these old blankets, many of them now older than most of us. They are romantic, sensible, special, familiar, nostalgic and nothing else feels so appropriate in so many situations. No offense to the great Aussie doona, but from hippie to hipster, at a music festival, picnic, campsite or couch, a vintage blanket is something coveted by all. This industry that employed tens of thousands and must have been such a huge contributor to the economy is almost completely lost now. Blanket Fever is an ode to everything that came before: the land, the sheep, the shearers, the hands, the mills, the weavers, the designers, the distributors, the department stores. To the grandparents that gave them, the people that received them, the families that kept them; thank you. I’m passionate about my collection of Australian blankets manufactured in mostly Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania from the 1930s to the end of the 1960s. The collection has blankets from each of these four decades representing the styles and fashions of their time and includes dated advertisements which help determine the eras the blankets are from." Queen sized blanket, corn and bluePhysician Blankets/Pure Virgin Lambswool/Mothproofed/Made in Australiawool, blanket, blanket fever, physician, collins bros, geelong

Ford and McFarlane shearing handpiece c.1890. This shearing handpiece is from ‘Wellington Lodge” in Tailem Bend, South Australia. Wellington Lodge today is an Angus beef farm; however, the property has a long history which includes wool farming. Wellington Lodge has been in the McFarlane family since the 1840’s and was originally around 19000 acres. The donor, Brian Licence, assembled this handpiece out of spare parts he found while classing wool on the property in the 1960s. Brian showed the finished handpiece to the owners once his classing work was completed and was told he could keep the handpiece as a souvenir. Brian also classed wool at “Jockwar” and “Pleasant Park” in Penola for members of the McFarlane family during the 1960s. The handpiece is named after Ford, the name of the engineer who designed the handpiece and McFarlane, the owners of Wellington Lodge Station and employers of Ford. This handpiece was developed as a prototype for use on the property. The handpiece which is made of solid brass is in a “used condition” and has been patched with solder. The handpiece is stamped with the number 10. Internally, the handpiece is powered from a drive mechanism of compressed air, this compressed air was typically produced by burning mutton fat. The handpiece comes from the pre-electrical– steam engine era of shearing. Brass metal shearing handpiece. A three-pronged fitting to hold both the comb and the blade protrudes from one end. A cylindrical stem extends vertically from the other. This is likely where a connecting rod to the shearing plant would be found. Below this vertical stem, the handpiece has an additional threaded hose fitting. This is likely where compressed air was delivered into the handpiece. The inscriptions can be found on the rear, near the previously mentioned vertical stem. Around this stem is also where the repairs of solder can be found. These repairs are unique to this handpiece and are not common practise.Etched. Base of handle. “FORD & McFARLANE . SHEEP SHEARER . Etched. Base of handle. “10”sheep shearing, shearing equipment, ford & mcfarlane, wellington lodge, tailem bend, south australia, shearing handpiece, shearing

This coat was produced from wool first shorn in c.1928. In 1928 Mr Mal Groves took over the Dutchman Station near Port Augusta in South Australia. Whilst out riding in some rough country he came across a sheep that had been left by the previous owner of the station. As he carried shears with him, he sheared the sheep and left the fleece rolled up and partially covered by rocks and wood, as he had no bag to carry it back with him. He intended to come back for the fleece, but forgot about it until he came across it some forty years later. It was still in good condition (despite having experienced extreme temperatures and rainfall whilst in the open), so he showed it to Elders who arranged to display it at agricultural shows in Adelaide, Melbourne and Geelong. The Gordon Institute of Technology, Geelong, offered to spin the fleece into a fabric and make a coat for Mrs Groves. The fabric was tailored into a coat by Lindsay and McKenzie of Geelong and presented to Mrs Groves in July 1968 by the South Australian manager of Elder Smith Goldsbrough Mort Ltd. It is not know how the coat came to Elders from the Groves family, but Elders displayed the coat under the heading "The Fleece That Would Not Die" before donating it to the National Wool Museum in 1997. A video giving the history of the coat and a text panel used by Elders were also donated at the same time.Coat, brown wool. Long sleeves, knee length with three circular brown buttons and two external pockets. Lined in brown satin, with a blue and red label at the base of the collar.Wording: Solo;Method: Embroidered;Location: Label at base of collar, inside coat Wording: PURE WOOL;Method: Printed;Location: Label on side seam, inside coatfashion wool - characteristics wool processing textile mills textile mills, lindsay and mckenzie elders limited gordon technical college, royal adelaide show - exhibition (31/08/2001 - 08/09/2001), groves, mr mal groves, mrs, dutchman station, south australia, fashion, wool - characteristics, wool processing, textile mills

American merino rams recorded in the American Merino register, selected by W G Markham, Avon, NY, USA from the best American flocks. Consignee Alfred Hay, esq, Boomanoomana, Mulwala, New South Wales, Australia. Shipped from San Francisco, California June 1883 by steamer, City of New York.sheep breeding merino sheep - history sheep - american, hay, mr alfred, sheep breeding, merino sheep - history, sheep - american

Gold medal certificate presented to Collins Bros Mill Pty Ltd for the best grouped exhibit at the South Australian Centennial Exhibition, 1936.CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION / Gold Medal / Certificate of Merit / AWARDED TO / Collins Bros Pty Limited / FOR / Attractive Stiff Grouped Exhibit / from an Exhibition point of view / [signature] PRESIDENT / [signature] SECRETARY / ART / INDUSTRY / TO CELEBRATE / THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY / OF THE / FOUNDATION OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. / SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF MANUFACTURERS INCORPORATED / 1836 / 1936 / Albert V. Adlam From- / ROBT. R. STANESBY / THE PICTURE FRAM MAKER, / MOUNT CUTTER, &c. / FREE LIBRARY BUILDINGS, / Moorabool St., Geelongtextile mills history, south australian chamber of manufacturers incorporated collins bros mill pty ltd, textile mills - history