This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Modella is a bounded rural locality in Victoria, Australia. Wool bales marked MODELLA would have been transported to or from Modella.Wool bale export stencil - MODELLAMODELLAwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. QLAND is an acronym for Queensland, the North- Eastern state of Australia. Wool bales marked QLAND would have been transported to Queensland.Wool bale export stencil - QLANDQLANDwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Port Elizabeth city in South Africa. Wool bales marked ELIZABETH would have been transported to South Africa by sea.Wool bale export stencil - ELIZABETHELIZABETHwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

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. Thin sheet of metal with letters and numbers cut to produce a consistent pattern for the surface below through the application of ink. In small text on the top edge of the stencil two separate phrases are engraved.” A.W.C. PROPERTY NOT TRANSFERABLE” and “PROFESSIONAL“. This wool classing stencil belonged to Stanley Hucker. It was his last Wool Classing Stencil. Dated to 1983, it is 45 years older than his first stencil. The role of a Wool Classer is to sort, classify, and grade wool into various ‘lines’ so that it can be sold for best market price. Wool Classers are typically also tasked with the managing and supervising of wool-handling teams. The stencil is used in the final step of preparing a bale of wool for sale. It is branded across the front of a wool bale to indicate the quality of the wool, with the classers number used as a seal of guarantee.Engraved letters. “A.W.C. PROPERTY / NOT TRANSFERABLE” Engraved letters. “PROFESSIONAL“. Cut imagery. Sheep’s head Cut letters, numbers, and imagery. “83 (Image Australia) P I / 50922”wool classing, stencil, 90 years wool classing between father & son

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. Thin sheet of metal with letters cut to produce a consistent pattern for the surface below through the application of ink. This wool classing stencil belonged to Stanley Hucker. It was his first Wool Classing Stencil. It was used on Stanley’s property named “Yohhatnbu” in Willaura. Stanley gained the property as part of the Returned Soldiers Settlement Scheme for his service in World War 2. The role of a Wool Classer is to sort, classify, and grade wool into various ‘lines’ so that it can be sold for best market price. Wool Classers are typically also tasked with the managing and supervising of wool-handling teams. The stencil is used in the final step of preparing a bale of wool for sale. It is branded across the front of a wool bale to indicate the quality of the wool, with the classers number used as a seal of guarantee.Cut letters. “SJH / BOLAC ”wool classing, stencil, 90 years wool classing between father & son

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the exportation of wool bales. Keelung is a port city near Taipei, in northern Taiwan. Wool bales marked KEELUNG would have been transported to Keelung by sea.Wool bale exportation stencil - KEELUNGKEELUNGwool - transportation, wool sales, wool exportation

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Talcahuano is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. Wool bales marked TALCAHUANO would have been transported to Talcahuano by sea.Wool bale export stencil - TALCAHUANOTALCAHUANOwool sales, wool transport

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Elmsdale homestead is located on the Ilfracombe Creek in south Queensland. Wool bales marked ELMSDALE would have been transported from Elmsdale.Wool bale export stencil - ELMSDALEELMSDALEwool sales, wool transportation, wool export

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Wilhelmburg is a quarter of Hamburg, Germany, on the banks of the River Elbe. Wool bales marked WILHELMBURG would have been transported to Wilhelmburg by sea.Wool bale export stencil - WILHELMBURGWILHELMBURGwool sales, wool transportation, wool export

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Timaru is a city in the South Island of New Zealand. Wool bales marked TIMARU would have been transported to New Zealand by sea.Wool bale export stencil - TIMARUTIMARUwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Odessa is a port city on the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. Wool bales marked ODESSA would have been transported to Ukraine by sea.Wool bale export stencil - ODESSAODESSAwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

The wool was shorn from sheep of the Wyndarra and Rockbank bloodlines. A flock of 290 sheep were kept undercover at Kadinia, the property of the Appledore family from Brim in the Wimmera district of Victoria. Their record-breaking wool was produced by giving the sheep a special diet and providing each one with a UV-protective coat. Around 180 fleeces were selected for the million dollar bale. The sale of the first bale of wool measuring below 14 microns was held in the Auction Room here at the National Wool Museum. Bidding began at $600/kg and steadily increased until there were only two bidders left. The bidders represented the Japanese firm Aoki International and Loro Piana of Italy. The hammer fell at $10,300/kg, with Aoki International paying $1,194,800 for the 116kg bale. The fleece was scoured (cleaned) at the Goulburn Wool Scour, New South Wales. The degree of preparation and care taken with the task was extreme. The Scour closed production three days before and was extensively cleaned. On the day of scouring 12 tonnes of 17 micron wool was washed to condition the water, then nine bales of extra super fine wool, worth over $300,000 was washed as a trial run. Toabo Agaki Japan was employed to process the scoured wool into suit cloth. Taobo required the scoured wool to contain 0.5% residual grease, 12% moisture and a yield of 83kg. These requirements were met. The entire staff of the Scour wanted to be part of washing the best wool in the world. Without asking for payment both the night shift and afternoon shift crews assisted the day shift in the task. The bale was fed into the scour in seven minutes and fitted into three bowls, half the scour. It completely disappeared into the dryer and the last wool was fed before the first wool was out. The clean wool was hand-packed into cardboard cartons and freighted to Japan. Aoki International, based in Yokohama Japan, cut three suit lengths from the cloth, then blended the remaining wool into an exclusive line of commercially-available suits. These suits are labeled Kadinia.Wool sample from the Million Dollar Balewool sales, million dollar bale

One of a set of drawings of the National Wool Museum by David Williams; Dennys Lascelles Woolstore, Geelong.Pen and ink drawing of the Dennys Lascelles wool store, now the National Wool Museum, by David Williams.David Williams 26.7% 8 SCHUTZMACHER SHOELLESHAMMERnational wool museum

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Dudley is a large industrialised market town and administrative centre in England. Wool bales marked DUDLEY would have been transported to Dudley by sea.Wool bale export stencil - DUDLEYDUDLEYwool sales, wool transportation, wool export

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Dunedin is a city located in the south island of New Zealand. Wool bales marked DUNEDIN would have been transported to New Zealand by sea.Wool bale export stencil - DUNEDINDUNEDINwool - transportation, wool sales

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Tilbury is a port located on the River Thames at Tilbury in Essex, England. Wool bales marked TILBURY would have been transported to England by sea.Wool bale export stencil - TILBURYTILBURYwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Y'hama is the abbreviated version of Yokohama, a Japanese city south of Tokyo. Wool bales marked Y'HAMA would have been transported to Yokohama by sea.Wool bale export stencil - Y'HAMAY'HAMAwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

One of a set of drawings of the National Wool Museum by David WilliamsPen and ink drawing, on paper, of the Gail Schaeffer wool mural, held at the National Wool Museum, Geelong, by David Williams.David Williams '90 41% 9 SCHUTZMACHER SHOELLESHAMMER 9national wool museum

This stencil was used as a property name for the transportation of wool bales. All wool bales stamped with BUNKER HILL would have transported from or to Bunker Hill.Wool bale export stencil - BUNKER HILLBUNKER HILLwool transportation, wool sales, wool export

This stencil was used as a organisation stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Wool bales marked HC & S would have been farmed by or sent to that company to manufacturer.Wool bale export stencil - HC&SHC&Swool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

This stencil was used as a organisation stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Wool bales marked HOLDENS BIB would have been farmed by or sent to that company for manufacture.Wool bale export stencil - HOLDENS BIBHOLDENS BIBwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

This stencil was used as a location stamp for the transportation of wool bales. There are many towns and cities around the world called Winston. Wool bales marked WINSTON would have been transported to any one of them by sea.Wool bale export stencil - WINSTONWINSTONwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

This stencil was used as a label for the transportation of wool bales.Wool bale export stencil - 3AJ3AJwool transportation, wool sales, wool export

This stencil was used as an & symbol to assist other classification stamps for the transportation of wool bales.Wool bale export stencil - &&wool - transportation, wool sales