"Grip" bale fasteners,The Hurst & Hughes Pty Ltd, 35 Skene Street, Geelong, Victoria. Donated from the estate of the donors' father who had an involvement through the scouting movement with the Hurst family who invented bale clips."Grip" bale fasteners,The Hurst & Hughes Pty Ltd, 35 Skene Street, Geelong, Victoria."Grip" Bale Fasteners/ The Hurst & Hughes Pty Ltd, 35 Skene Street, Geelong, Victoria....shearing wool bales, hurst and hughes pty ltd, wool bale clips, hurst, mr harold e., shearing, wool bales

Pins used in Donalds D/box wool press Patent No 4, Serial No 87086These pins belong to Donald D/Box press in G1/ given originally by Mr Penna. We now have the full set of 6./ JC /22 Sept 89 ....6th pin in press in Gallery 1...shearing wool bales shearing sheds, wool press, shearing, wool bales, shearing sheds

Pins used in Donalds D/box wool press Patent No 4, Serial No 87086.These pins belong to Donald D/Box press in G1/ given originally by Mr Penna. We now have the full set of 6./ JC /22 Sept 89 ....6th pin in press in Gallery 1...shearing wool bales shearing sheds, wool press, shearing, wool bales, shearing sheds

Pins used in Donalds D/box wool press Patent No 4, Serial No 87086These pins belong to Donald D/Box press in G1/ given originally by Mr Penna. We now have the full set of 6./ JC /22 Sept 89 ....6th pin in press in Gallery 1...shearing wool bales shearing sheds, wool press, shearing, wool bales, shearing sheds

Part of Robley Hand Hydraulic Woolpress, donated by Mr David Hamilton of Hamilton & McLeod, Geelong.Part of Robley Hand Hydraulic Woolpress.shearing wool bales, hamilton, mr david, shearing, wool bales

Robley Hand Hydraulic Woolpress, donated by Mr David Hamilton of Hamilton & McLeod, Geelong. Originally installed in "Spring Creek Woolshed", Maldon, Victoria. Typical example of a manual hand hydraulic press with wire rope linkage, in an era when very few woolsheds had electricity.Robley HY speed wool press made of orange painted wood. Robley HY speed wool press made of orange painted wood.shearing wool bales, hamilton, mr david, shearing, wool bales

Bale closer. Was used in Gallery 3 display at the National Wool Museum until 13/7/1998.Treatment form page 1, 23/09/1988 Treatment form page 2, 23/09/1988shearing wool bales, wool bale clips, shearing, wool bales

"Grip" bale fasteners,The Hurst & Hughes Pty Ltd, 35 Skene Street, Geelong, Victoria. Donated from the estate of the donors' father who had an involvement through the scouting movement with the Hurst family who invented bale clips.W90 letter to Ms Rachel Faggetter from Rob Money dated 14th October 1989. Contains history of fasteners."Grip" Bale Fasteners/ The Hurst & Hughes Pty Ltd, 35 Skene Street, Geelong, Victoria....shearing wool bales, hurst and hughes pty ltd, wool bale clips, hurst, mr harold e., shearing, wool bales

Metal stencil, rectangular with rounded corners. Cut out of a sheep's head, map of Australia, and 83 PI 57187.83 PI 57187shearing wool bales, shearing, wool bales

Formica stencil, map of Australia, PROF'L 60127 .PROF' L 60127shearing, wool bales, stencil

Stencil with "DL", "G" cut out. (Denny Lascelles)DL/Gshearing, wool bales, dennys, lascelles limited, stencil

Stencil, die cut "DL", "G" (Denny Lascelles)Stencil, die cut "DL", "G" (Denny Lascelles).DL/Gshearing, wool bales, dennys, lascelles limited, stencil

rural life, peopleCopy of B/W Photograph, Shearing at "Larundel" c 1900, shearers standing around a bale of wool outside shedbuninyong, larundel, shearers, wool

The Churchill Island collection includes objects from the 1800s. The collection is presented in sets and series, of which this object belongs to the National Trust sub-collection.Wool presses were used in shearing sheds around the country to create bales of wool by hand in preparation for transport to the wool markets for purchase and distribution. A standard wool bale holds about 60 compressed wool fleeces and weighs a minimum of 120 kgs. The square shape and weight enabled them to be stacked on wagons or in warehouses, and a large pack horse could carry one on each side. Large, retangular upright metal wool press, unpainted with some surface rust.farm machinery, wool, wool press, hand operated, shearing, national trust

Printing plate with illustration of wool press manufactured by Humble and Sons.Wooden block with metal plate with illustration of wool press manufactured by Humble and Sons.shearing sheep stations - management wool bales, humble and sons pty ltd, wool press, shearing, sheep stations - management, wool bales

Printing block with illustration of wool press manufactured by Humble and Sons.Printing plate with illustration of wool press manufactured by Humble and Sons.wool bales sheep stations - management shearing, humble and sons pty ltd, wool press, wool bales, sheep stations - management, shearing

Printing plate with illustration of wool press manufactured by Humble and Sons.Printing plate with illustration of wool press manufactured by Humble and Sons.shearing sheep stations - management wool bales, humble and sons pty ltd, wool press, shearing, sheep stations - management, wool bales

metal wool-bale hookblacksmith, homemade, wool bale hook, sheep, shearing, agriculture, farming

Tape contains ten separate short films created by the Australian Wool Corporation, including promotional videos, advertisements and industry news.Black VHS tape with white and orange stickers and printed text. Tape is housed in a black plastic case. Film includes colour footage and audio. 00:01 - titles 00:21 - scenes herding sheep 01:18 - titles 'Wool Testing' 01:34 - Hugh Beggs, Chairman of Australian Wool Corporation, speaking about history of wool marketing and measuring of wool in Australia 02:29 - wool bales on truck 02:35 - interior of factory showing process of wool sampling, measuring and testing 04:04 - AWTA Ltd building exterior, and interior scenes of workers testing and measuring wool samples 11:41 - scenes at wool auction 12:14 - factory interior showing wool processing 13:05 - Beggs speaking about wool industry 13:13 - fashion runways 13:52 - end titles 14:17 - end 14:22 - titles 'Contaminants in Wool Processing' 14:42 - fashion runway 14:52 - man speaking on location at a sheep farm 15:04 - Mark Kent, Vice-President Kent Manufacturing, speaking about contamination of wool and Australia's reputation 15:25 - interior scenes of G H Michell & Sons wool mill in South Australia 16:22 - Judy Turk, in office at G H Michell & Sons speaking about problems of contamination 16:36 - interior factory scenes 17:46 - John McIntosh, Aweave Textile Corporation, talking about contaminants 20:02 - scenes in shearing shed 20:42 - Chip Sawers, President Wool Council, talking about contamination 28:46 - end credits 29:04 - end 29:13 - Bill Peach exits car on sheep property, introduces a story about wool 29:46 - titles 'Working for Wool' 30:04 - farm scenes 32:12 - shearing shed scenes, interior 34:28 - Wool Testing Authority labratory, interior scenes 36:44 - wool store interior 38:20 - Australian Wool Corporation office interior and exterior, Parkville, Melbourne 43:26 - end credits 44:00 - end 44:05 - wool advertisement featuring man and woman in car 44:34 - end 44:41 - titles 'Fleece Clean' 44:42 - various scenes, fashion, factories 45:14 - titles 45:15 - fashion runways 45:43 - farm scenes 51:02 - titles 51:10 - scenes of China, including Great Wall 53:44 - textile factories in China, interior scenes 57:46 - fashion runways, Shanghai China 01:00:31 - rural scenes of China 01:02:03 - end 01:02:13 - titles 'Wool Top Making' 01:02:19 - scenes of Williamstown, Victoria 01:02:27 - Port Phillip Mills, interior scenes 01:06:33 - end credits 01:07:08 - end 01:07:11 - titles 'Shearer Fitness' 01:07:21 - shearing shed, interior 01:09:54 - shearers talking about health and fitness 01:19:28 - end credits 01:19:48 - end 01:19:50 - titles 'Shearing Training' 01:19:51 - shearing scenes 01:26:24 - end credits 01:26:45 - end 01:26:50 - titles 'Wool Press Duties' 01:26:58 - wool pressing scenes 01:34:29 - end credits 01:34:51 - end 01:34:54 - woollen carpet advertisement, including carpet scenes and farm scenes 01:35:38 endLabel on tape: Australian Wool Corporation / TITLE AWC VIDEOS TAPE 2 / PLAYING TIME / TAPING DATE 26/4/91 / PRODUCTION DATE / SYSTEM / WOOL HOUSE 369 Royal Parade, PARKVILLE, VIC, 3052victoria, film, working life, factory, textile industry, farming, sheep, australian wool corporation, hugh beggs, wool testing, wool measuring, awta, g h michell & sons, fashion, runway, contaminants, mark kent, wool mills, judy turk, john mcintosh, aweave textile corporation, chip sawers, bill peach, advertisements, china, top making, shearing sheds, shearing, health, training, wool pressers, carpet

The Waistcoat’s Owners The first owner of the waistcoat was Alfred (Alf) Gilbert White, 1868 Stretton Park, Connewarre – 1946, Mt Duneed. He was the fourth child of Andrew White, 1828-1900, and Jane Roberts, 1827-1871. His father Andrew White was born at Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, England, the sixth child of William White and Sarah Elkington. Andrew had come to Victoria on the James L. Bogart in 1852 with his first wife, Emily Walker. From 1854, records show he was the owner of livery stables in central Geelong before he moved into land ownership. In 1862, Andrew became a landowner with 1,400 acres in Connewarre, the Salt Water Run, then re-named Stretton Park by Andrew. Thereafter he is usually noted as a Farmer or Sheep Farmer. Emily died in 1861 and Andrew remarried Jane Roberts in 1863. Jane was the daughter of Jane (Jenefer) Pearce and William Roberts in Crowan, Cornwell, England and it is thought arrived in Victoria on the British Trident in 1855. In 1878 Andrew moved to the newly purchased “Hillside” at Mt Duneed with his family including Alfred. By 1880 Andrew held 11,095 acres in South Barwon and Barrabool. As well as being a landowner, he had other business interests including Auctioneers, Stock and Station Agents Learmonth White from 1886. However farming at Hillside, particularly wool production, was an important part of his life. For example, in 1893 10,350 sheep were shorn although the highest number of bales of wool produced was in 1892 with 174 bales under AW’s wool mark and 8 under that of Stretton Park. This was the result of shearing 9,234 sheep. There were usually six or seven shearers, shearing over a two to three week period, beginning in early or mid October. Some of the shearers bore names familiar in the district such as Gogoll, Duffield, and Baensch. Andrew White held a number of local positions including: •1863-1874 Connewarre Road Board, Chairman 1871-73 •1875-1900 South Barwon Shire Council. When the Board amalgamated with South Barwon to form the Shire of South Barwon, he was an inaugural representative of Connewarre. He was a council member for 44 years and president for the following terms: 1878-1879; 1885-1887; 1889; 1894; 1895-1896; and 1898-1899. •1878-1886, Barrabool Shire Council, President 1882 •In 1885 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace in the Southern Bailiwick •Committee member of the Geelong Racing Club, 1890-96 •In 1892 he was appointed returning officer for the South-Western Province and the electoral district of Barwon •Foundation President of Torquay Racing Club, 1893 •Mount Duneed Cemetery Trustee, 1893 Alfred Gilbert White went to Connewarre School and then to Mt Duneed School after the family moved to Mt Duneed. He then went to Geelong Grammar School as a boarder from 31 July 1883. After leaving school, in 1886, he worked as a bookkeeper for the family business Learmonth-White stock and station agents and lived at home at Hillside. He and Bessie Orchard Mathews were married in 1894. Bessie was born in Geelong in 1869, the sixth child of William Matthews and Amelia Orchard. Her family lived at “Turley,” Malop Street, Geelong, named after the hamlet of Turleigh in West Wiltshire, England. Bessie’s father, William Mathews, a butcher from Winsley, Wiltshire, arrived on the Queen of the East in Sydney in 1854 and established a successful butcher’s business with his brother James in Geelong. Her mother, Amelia Orchard, also from Winsley, arrived on the Thames in Melbourne in 1857. Alfred, Bessie and their family lived at Stretton Park, Connewarre, leasing it from Andrew. They had six children including their fourth child Douglas Alfred White, the second owner of the waistcoat. His father Andrew supported Alfred’s sheep farming at Stretton Park. In 1896 “.... eight splendid 2-tooth Lincoln rams in the wool were purchased by Mr Andrew White for his son, Mr Alfred G. White….intended for Mr White’s sheep run at Connewarre.“ Alfred White bought ‘Hillside’, 640 acres, after his father’s death and moved there with his family from Stretton Park in Connewarre. (Stretton Park was bought by his half sister Emily and her family and renamed “Morangarell”.) A family partnership was formed to run the wider station. It was then Alfred who managed the new partnership, called Stretton Park. Alfred meticulously kept the financial records of the station, as might be expected from a former bookkeeper. The detail kept is exemplified in the annual shearing records, including the names of the paddocks, the number of lambs and ewes and the shearers’ tallies. In the spring of 1900, after Andrew White had died, shearing began on 7 October and was finished on 6 November. On some days well over 500 sheep were shorn. The highest tally was 616 on 11 October. That year the overall total of sheep shorn was 9,101. Alfred was an active community member including: •South Barwon Council member (46 years), president: 1903-04; 1906-07; 1921-22; and 1931-33 •Geelong Grammar School Council member, 1908-1946 (over 37 years) •Active member of St. Wilfred’s Church of England, Mt Duneed •Director of Dennys Lascelles, 1932-1946 •Mt Duneed Cemetery Trustee, 1900 •Honorary member of the Mt Duneed Rifle Club, 1900 •Mt Duneed Mutual Improvement Association •Mt Duneed Recreation Reserve Trustee •Torquay Improvement Association Trustee •Barwon Returning Officer Douglas Alfred White, 1900 Stretton Park, Connewarre-1976, Geelong. Initially Douglas and his sisters were taught at home by a governess. Then, like his father, Douglas attended Geelong Grammar. After finishing school, he studied Engineering at Melbourne University where he met Violet Fullerton, 1900-1992, who was studying Medicine. They married in 1926 and had two children including Douglas Robert Stretton (DRS) White Melbourne, 1928–Geelong, 1989, the final owner of the waistcoat. After a successful career as an engineer with the Department of Main Roads, NSW, and serving as a Major in the Royal Australian Engineers in NT, New Guinea and Borneo during the Second World War, Douglas purchased part of Stretton Park when it was sold in 1952. He farmed “South Beach Farm” until his death in 1975. (This area now includes The Sands and Stretton Estate subdivisions.) His son DRS White also attended Geelong Grammar before studying at Dookie Agricultural College. In 1955 DRS purchased land from Peter Fisher, John Fisher and Frank Walter, naming the property “Lambidgee”. (This was part of the land that had originally belonged to Andrew White that had been sold previously.) He farmed this land for the rest of his life, continuing the family tradition. After his father’s death in 1975, the waistcoat became his and so passed to a third generation of the family.Chartreuse green and red waistcoat featuring woven wool front with six buttons, silk back with metal clasp, and red lining. The buttons feature small green beads in the centre.Label [printed]: R. Collins Hocking / GEELONG Label [handwritten]: A. G. White Esqwaistcoat, vest, design, textiles, fashion, alfred white, sheep farming, mt duneed, rural life

This stencil was used as a wool classification stamp for the transportation of wool bales. Locks is a term used to describe very short wool cut from the fleece by shearers. Either short wool from around the points or second cuts caused when shearers lift the hand piece off the skin and then shear the short fibres left on the skin to tidy up. Classification stamps like these had to be approved by a Wool Classier and described the quality of wool inside the bale.Wool bale export stencil - LOCKSLOCKSwool - transportation, wool sales, wool class, wool classers

Chris was invited to be artist in resident for the historic re-enactment of “Shearing the Rams” at the North Tuppal Station woolshed held on the 4th and 5th June 2010. The celebration attracted record crowds to witness the shearing of the station rams by 72 blade shearers. Over a single weekend in 2010, thousands of people queued for hours to see a piece of Australian history recreated at North Tuppal Station near Tocumwal, NSW. In 1900, Francis Faulkner invested a staggering £4000 to extend his shearing shed on Tuppal Station, making it the biggest in the country. Over the next decade more than three million sheep trod its pine boards and were shorn in its 72 stands. After years of drought and the Great Depression, the property fell into disrepair and the station was split up. When North Tuppal Station was sold to the Atkinson family in 1928, just five of the 72 stands were in operation. In 2010, Sport Shear Australia approached the Atkinson family about holding an event in the historic shearing shed to raise money for a team of Australian shearers to go to the world shearing title in Wales. An army of volunteers restored the T-shaped shed and yards and organised a weekend of events. Over two days, 6,000 sheep were shorn and all 72 stands of the restored North Tuppal shed were brought back to life. A total of 117 shearers shared the boards with 90 wool handlers who skirted 19 fleeces every minute. For a period on each day of this historic weekend, the machines were then silenced, and 72 shearers picked up their old blade shears to recreate past shearing methods. “When they fired up and got the blades out there was deathly silence on the board - you could hear a pin drop because normal shearing you have all the machines and it is quite noisy. Here you could just hear the click, like in the song Click Go the Shears Boys. People had tears in their eyes. It was quite an emotional thing to see that and very proud to be here.” George Falkiner, grandson of Francis FalkinerColoured framed print of shearing scene in the Tuppal station, Ferrrier’s wool press on the left-hand side and station on the top. Print in framed in a light-coloured wooden frame with white coloured matte.Under artwork - In 1891 Tuppal Station, a sum of 176,000 acres threshold, was bought by Mr Fiane Sadlies Falkines, Under the management of his eldest son F.B.S. Falkines, the 72 stand woolshed was build in 1900 and powered by a 16 horsepower steam engine. Sheep were pure Boonoke blood and the average numbers of sheep shorn over nineteen years to 1909 was 152,780. Around 7200 sheep could be shorn daily. The largest clip totalled 3326 baled of greasy and scoured wool and was sold in London. Bottom right corner - Chris McClelland 181/720 Shearing The Rams – Tuppal Station

John Griffin’s wool classing exercise books from 1941-1943 when he was a student at the Gordon Institute in Geelong. John and his father John Henry Griffin owned a farm in Dunkeld and bred fine merino wool. One year they topped the wool sales figures for the area, in the late 1940s. There are four books in total. One book is on the topic of Veterinary Science and is from 1941. It contains information on topics such as birth and early lamb life, bone structure and other internal organisms of a sheep, such as the heart. Another book is on Wool Classing with topics such as wool scouring, dipping, shearing and micron counts. The third book is on general shearing shed knowledge. This includes a diagram for rolling a fleece, correct method for stamping a wool bale and branding abbreviations. The final book is on the History the Merino Sheep. It is a long form essay answer booklet. The Gordon institute and wool are synonymous with one another, the first class in wool sorting was offered at the Gordon in 1891. With much of the wool clip sent directly to England at this time, The Gordon's focus soon shifted to wool classing and marketing. By the 1930s, The Gordon's wool school was renowned as the state's wool industry training centre. Early specialist short courses were offered around Victoria to assist wool growers in preparing their clip for market, with modules on sheep breeding and pasture development included in the programs. Anne Griffin’s, John’s daughter, donated the exercise books to the National Wool Museum in 2021. Book 1 is predominately blue circular cover with cream background. Middle of book has pink highlighter mark. Reverse of book has an Arithmetical Table and a Multiplication Table in a blue ink on cream paper. It also has four black ink markings Book 2 is predominately blue circular cover with cream background. Book has red tape across the spine. Reverse of book has an Arithmetical Table and a Multiplication Table in a blue ink on cream paper. Book 3 is predominately blue plaid cover with cream background. Middle of book has pink highlighter handwriting which has been crossed with the same colour, leaving the text unreadable. Reverse of book has an Arithmetical Table and a Multiplication Table in a blue ink on cream paper. Book 4 is predominately blue diagonal striped book with cream background. Middle of book has small picture of Australia. Reverse of book has an Arithmetical Table and a Multiplication Table in a blue ink on cream paper. Book 1. Front cover: “All Schools” / EXERCISE BOOK / NAME Jack Griffin Grade Gordon Institute School of Technology(?) / Approved by the / Education Department Back cover. Reverse. ARTHMETICAL TABLES / (Numerous, see media) Book 2. Front cover: 2nd & 3rd / “All Schools” / EXERCISE BOOK / Name Jack Griffin / Grade 2 / School the Gordon / Approved by the / Education Department Back cover. Reverse. ARTHMETICAL TABLES / (Numerous, see media) Book 3. Front cover: Embassy / EXERCUSE BOOK / Name John Griffin / Grade 1 / School (?) / APPROVED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / Back cover. Reverse. ARTHMETICAL TABLES / (Numerous, see media) Book 4. Front cover: EXERCISE / APPROVED BY EDUCATION DEPT. / BOOK / NAME Jack Griffin / GRADE 3 / SCHOOL Gordon Back cover. Reverse. ARTHMETICAL TABLES / (Numerous, see media) gordon institute geelong, wool classing, 1940s sheep farming, note book, study, student

Photo album detailing the process involved in the Jumbo Wool Auction Service. This process was developed by Grazcos, a company who advanced innovations for shearers and wool farmers before amalgamating with Dalgety in the early 1990s. Grazcos was a well-known name to source a competent shearing team, or as a destination for wool in need of bulk classing. The Jumbo Wool Auction service was designed to process wool more efficiently through volume. 63 traditionally dumped farm bales of wool would fill a typical shipping container. The Jumbo Wool Auction Service enabled 108 farm bales to fit into the same container. This brought reductions in the costs of handling, selling, storing, and shipping of wool. This photo album details this process; from classing to shipping. This photo album was a draft copy produced for review before the production of mass-produced advertising flyers. 12-page hard cover photo album. Internally colour images and printed text have been stuck behind a protective plastic onto paper. The backing paper has many distinctive orange and grey horizontal lines. Printed text is in black ink. Colour images are 2 x 3 inches with rounded corners. Images and text are numbered 1 to 16 detailing the process of the Jumbo Wool Auction Service developed by Grazcos.wool auction, wool processing, grazcos

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 orange plastic with letters and numbers moulded to produce a consistent pattern for the surface below through the application of ink. This wool classing stencil once belonged to Denis Hucker. The top number is Denis’ Wool Classing Stencil Number. On the next line is the emblem of the Australian Wool Exchange, followed by an image of Australia, and finally the letters AW. The final line reads 50 years, indicating Denis’ experience in the profession of wool classing. This stencil is reserved for wool classers who have held their stencil and been actively classing wool in Australia for more than 50 years. Wool classers sort, classify, and grade wool into various lines so that it can be sold at best market price. They also manage and supervise 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 approval. Accompanying the stencil are two sheets of white A4 paper with printing in gold and black ink. The first sheet was presented by the Australian Council of Wool Exporters & Processors to Denis Hucker for achieving 50 years of wool classing. Surrounded by a thin gold boarder, the page is made up of black text with gold headings. In the top right corner, an image of a sheep with an outline of Australia is found. The second piece of paper was presented by the Australian Wool Exchange to Denis Hucker for achieving 50 years of wool classing. Two thirds of the page is made up of a gold stencil which reads “50 years”. Accompanying the stencil is black text. Moulded letters, numbers, emblem, and imagery. “950326 / (emblem AWEX) (Image Australia) AW / 50 Years” A4 Paper. Printed. See Multimedia A4 Paper. Printed See Multimedia 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 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. This is the first in a series of 5 wool classing exercise books. They were written by Stanley Hucker in his time at the Gordon Technical College from 1936-1938. This book begins in a cover of black vinyl with a strip of red tape on the spine to give added support. Some of the vinyl has been removed on the cover, revealing blue card beneath. A sticker label is also found on the front cover. It has been damaged. Part of the sticker has been removed, while blue ink can also be found obscuring the text below. Internally, the book is handwritten on yellowed pages with blue lines for the assistance in clarity of handwriting. The pages are also surrounded by a margin of red pen. The exercise book’s content is about veterinary studies relating to the diseases, injuries, and treatment of sheep. It is handwritten and accompanied by an occasional hand drawn diagram. A selection of pages have been photographed to give an impression of the information taught in classes, 90 years ago. This includes information about a sheep’s heart, hind limbs, and reproduction system in ewes. Front Cover. Wording, printed and handwritten “SERVICE / EXERCISE BOOK / NAME Stanley Hucker / GRADE wool classing / SCHOOL Gordon Technical / SUBJECT Veterinary”gordon institute geelong, wool classing, 1930s sheep farming, 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. This is the second in a series of 5 wool classing exercise books. They were written by Stanley Hucker in his time at the Gordon Technical College from 1936-1938. This book begins in a cover of black vinyl with a strip of red tape on the spine. A sticker label is also found on the front cover. It has been damaged with part of the sticker removed. Internally, the book is handwritten on yellowed pages with blue lines for the assistance in clarity of handwriting. The pages are also surrounded by a margin of red pen. The exercise book’s content is about the wool industry. It is handwritten and accompanied by an occasional hand drawn table. A selection of pages have been photographed to give an impression of the information taught in classes, 90 years ago. This includes information about: - Matching wool terminologies in different countries i.e. England, USA, France, and Germany - Charges deducted in the selling of wool i.e. insurance & commission - The duties of a Wool Classer - The history of Merino Sheep - Wool Selling figures from 1925-1932 - Statistics on the breed of sheep in Australia (as of 31st December 1929) - Australia’s portion of the global wool clip in 1934 gordon institute geelong, wool classing, 1930s sheep farming, 90 years wool classing between father & son