Early last century, Tuppal Station in the NSW Riverina had an enormous Merino flock and one of the biggest and best shearing sheds in the country. But as 'sheep numbers dwindled' there was no need for an industrial-scale shearing complex. The magnificent shed went into moth balls, until a few years ago... Tuppal's 72-stand shed roared to life again as many veteran shearers, my brother Rick among them (right) with sharpened combs and cutters, dived through the saloon doors into the pens for one final shear.
The demise of an industry.
Why did sheep numbers dwindle. Foxes and dingos? No. No demand? Nope Shearers slack and paid too much? Bear with me and you decide.
Son of a gun Rick
A little insight into the mentality of the shearer as told by my brother Rick.
''Left Danby Downs after a two weeks with a lousy cook and maggots in the mutton. With six of us in the Fairlane, we rolled into a farm outside of Lockington. It was 105deg and the shed was a stinker. Dumped me gear in the quarters, went up to the shed, had a look at the sheep and put me name on the tally board'
The tally board is the way shearers get paid. The contractor keeps tabs on the numbers. Most shearers are competitive and very fit, despite their unhealthy appearance, which is more caused by their inability to eat enough calories to keep up with the ones burnt.
'We settled in for a weeks shear. Got under way well. Young bloke was eyeing me and we started to have a go. By the end of the day, I was ten in front. No trouble I thought. Next day was hotter and hard to get enough bloody water inside ya. He was persistin' and he was about five behind. We were gettin' up into the 250's (per day)...
Reckoned I'd have 'im by the third. By afternoon smoko on the third day, I was about buggered... buggered if I'd let him win. Still, I was prayin' he'd fall in a heap and pretty bloody fast. By lunch on the fourth, he was stuffed. Caved in, came over called me a mongrel bastard and shook me 'and.'
Unfortunately, Rick tore a shoulder tendon and no longer shears. He loved shearing more than anything.
So, it's not that shearers are lazy and are paid too much.
One reason for the demise
Last week I mentioned the old man's shearing technique, Tally Hi, which improved the bottom line for wool growers and helped keep Australian exporters competitive.
Well, next generation down, brother Rick was involved in the 'wide comb' debacle. Makes sense. Wider combs, quicker shearing, lower costs and price. Increased competitiveness.
When dear dad was teaching his technique, the AWU sent thugs to heckle and black eye him a bit.
Twenty-five years later, Rick, with his wide combed shearing team, diverted out along the Birdsville Trail to avoid thugs from the union waiting in town with shotguns.
The UWA's logic at the time was that if sheep get shorn slower, it'll make more jobs.
Bottom line of the demise
High price of wool? You betcha, as compared to the new synthetic materials anyway. It wasn't caused by paying shearers what they're worth.
One example of how things went wrong were that Cockies often paid cash to Maritime Workers for a 'soft landing'. Means they won't drop your tractor from six foot onto the concrete wharf?
A bit extreme but it illustrates how you can have many efficient workers: Shearers, farmers, fencers and roustabouts. But if you have institutitions, departments, voting hand-out recipients, a culture becoming increasingly 'I am entitled to something for nothing', thereby increasing demand for placing further taxes on production, then we will see the demise of more industries, and we are. Look at RIO and BHP today.
Hope
Get people off the gravy train. Reward for effort. Help those who need, not just want. This will encourage the enablement of...
Lower taxes
Which will reduce one of the biggest impediments to employment growth and international competitiveness.
We may have to see some pain before we get the lessons of our ancestors 'There aint no fee lunch' and 'don't slack off'...then we can all get paid more for our efforts, not for lack of.
Speaking of lunch...and vegetables. Our Trendy of the day (again), points out a conundrum...
Peter Pumpkinhead, or as we in the know, know him to be, Brad Roberts fro Crash Test Dummies.
'All that talk of stimulus WAS the stimulus. No doubt there will be plenty more talk in the coming month.' Peter Pumpkinhead
Good trading Rousties and I hope I haven't been too diffident Redbacka:)
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PS: AFP - No matter how many times you say 'Volt, Excellant' He won't talk to you until you apologise for disagreeing with him on his outlook with Ms Gillard:)
PSS: Jeez El Capo, you didn't know Paddington is a girl? Have you been in the closet? Come out. Follow the example of our senior public servants in Gaytown (Canberra).
(20min delay)