Top shearing talent at all-women’s workshop
A shearing workshop held in May attended by an incredibly driven group of women demonstrated how a focus on shearing technique rather than shear power is enabling more and more women to join the industry and excel in it.
The air in a shearing shed of a morning is like no other. It’s filled with anticipation of the day ahead, laughter, the sound of sheep moving on the grating, distant calls from the sheep yards, tales of the night before, the sounds of the metal combs hitting grinding papers, a few groans of sore bodies, and the thrill of the day ahead.
This morning is no different. Only there is an electric excitement added to the mix because today this shed is the venue for an all-women’s shearing workshop, reflecting the shifting demographics of the shearing industry.
The two-day workshop was organised by AWI and SCAA Shearer Woolhandler Training Inc (SCAA SWTI) and held towards the end of May at AJ & PA McBride’s new 12-stand shed at Eureka on the company’s ‘Telopea Downs’ property near the Victoria/South Australia border.
The 16 up-and-coming female shearers at the workshop were given the opportunity to be taught by an impressive group of trainers including two-time world champion Shannon Warnest, advanced trainer Paul Oster, gear expert Klynt Corell and SWTI CEO Glenn Haynes, as well as female world shearing record holder Catherine Mullooly from New Zealand.
“Each of the women here were handpicked. We filled the shearing school in 24 hours and honestly some amazing shearers missed out,” said Glenn Haynes.
Like most shearing schools, the students learnt tips and tricks from shearing technique to grinding skills, even discussing life skills and how to progress forward with their professional goals. All of the shearers were at different stages in the careers, but most had big dreams and were grateful for the opportunity to be there.
Maxi Armistead of Colac in Victoria.
“We have spent two days learning all about different shearing techniques, comb selection for sheep in different areas, and meeting female shearers from all over the country. It has been an incredible experience, and we were very lucky to have such great trainers and brand new facilities at Telopea Downs,” said shearer Maxi Armistead of Colac in Victoria.
“Hearing Catherine’s story from starting out shearing all the way to her world record was very inspirational.”
Catherine Mullooly demonstrating with trainer Shannon Warnest.
Catherine Mullooly said she was nervous about heading to Australia and teaching, but she soon found her feet.
“I’m not a big framed person and neither are any of the students here. It’s really about footwork and balance, allowing you to be able to shear without having to fight against the sheep all the time,” Catherine said.
“They have been an amazing group of young women and it’s been wonderful to see all the improvements they have made in two days. They have all listened so intently to all the trainers; it’s been great to watch.”
With so many women working in shearing sheds across the country, long gone are the days when ‘ducks on the pond’ was called out when a female was seen approaching the shearing shed. In recent years, more women having joined the wool harvesting industry as shearers as well as wool handlers.
Maxi Armistead has been in shearing sheds for the past three years, 18 months ago leaving the wool table for the handpiece.
“It’s good money and you have the ability to dictate your day a little with the pace you set for yourself. I shore 302 at the start of the year, it was a great achievement. Moving forward, my goals are to do more travel with my shearing; I would like to work in teams all over the country and the world and really push my comfort zone,” she said.
Grace Schoff of Chinchilla in Queensland.
Another student, Grace Schoff, who is a Queensland representative on AWI’s Wool Ambassadors Program, made the trek from Chinchilla to attend the workshop.
“Having the opportunity to shear with so many up and coming female shearers has been amazing. Telopea Downs has been one of the best schools I have ever attended,” she said.
“The trainers were exceptional at delivering training in a way that everyone understood and were always happy to answer questions. I have a few idols when it comes to shearing, my dad being my biggest idol. Shannon Warnest is another and to have the opportunity to shear here with him training has been amazing. Him and Catherine are just genuine people who I look up too.”
There is no doubt that this shearing school was a great success and a great demonstration of the progress in our industry.
AJ & PA McBride’s new shearing shed at Telopea Downs
AJ & PA McBride’s brand new 12-stand shearing shed at ‘Telopea Downs’, which hosted the all-female workshop, is an investment by the company that reflects its commitment to Merino wool.
The McBride family has been producing wool in Australia since 1859. AJ & PA McBride Ltd was founded in 1920 and now owns and operates five pastoral and five grazing properties in South Australia, as well Telopea Downs on the border of South Australia and Victoria.
AJ & PA McBride is a proud producer of Merino wool. Owning 270,000 sheep, the company is one of the largest wool producers in Australia. In 2023/24, it shore 350,000 sheep across its properties, producing 1.6 million kilograms of wool, 8,600 bales.
“The company has confirmed its commitment to being a top Merino wool enterprise. From this commitment, we purchased the Telopea Downs aggregation of 11 properties in 2018,” said CEO of AJ & PA McBride, Nathan Wessling.
“Over six years of ownership, we have reduced the commercial cropping area and increased sheep numbers on average by five percent each year, and this has ramped up over the past two years under current manager Drew Maxwell.”
As the company moved away from cropping towards a wool flock at Telopea Downs, the increased numbers of sheep put a strain on the existing infrastructure. Shearing almost 90,000 sheep in 2023/24, the company identified the need for a new shearing shed, which was completed earlier this year.
“The last two years’ shearings at Telopea Downs were longer than three months, utilising five woolsheds, which was unsustainable,” Nathan said. “Whilst we will still be utilising some of the other woolsheds on the property, the new Telopea Downs shed will be the main shed and cut shearing from 15 weeks last year to eight weeks this year.”
The shed was built by Greg Kendrick from Tintinara and is the third shed he has built on AJ & PA McBride properties following Konetta in 2011 and Braemar in 2020. It is 48 x 40 metres and contains a 12 stand, raised curved board. It has a capacity for 2,500 sheep penned undercover and storage for 300 bales. This year the company expects to shear 62,000 sheep at the shed, producing 1,500 bales of wool.
Nathan says as well as the need for the shed to be productive and efficient, another important consideration for the build was the provision of modern facilities for wool harvesting workers.
“With a shortage of shearers in the industry, we must ensure we have the best facilities to attract shearers and wool handlers to the industry and to our properties. We want McBride sheds to be on the shearers’ priority list,” he said.
“The shed has a large lunchroom with a sink, oven and fridge – in addition to the kitchen/dining room at the shearers’ quarters. There is also a washup area with both hot and cold water, an enclosed grinding room, and separate catwalks for staff around the exterior of the shed for safety.”
Looking to the future with wool
Now into its second century of operation, AJ & PA McBride has a variety of agricultural, horticultural and viticultural interests, but the company more than ever remains committed to proudly being a wool producer.
“Wool has always been in the DNA for AJ & PA McBride since father and son started operating properties together more than a century ago. Whilst current prices are at historical lows, the lesson that the company learned in the 1990s was that the best producers concentrate on what they are good at, focusing on the profit drivers of operations and ignoring distractions. And for our enterprises, wool cut per hectare is the main profitability driver,” Nathan said.
“AJ & PA McBride’s core mission is to be a strong, united and sustainable family company. Our commitment is that this company survives and thrives for the future generations of the McBride family – not only from a financial point of view, but by ensuring our viability in an ever changing climatic and consumer driven world. We believe that we are well placed to achieve this by focusing on our core business of Merino wool.”
More information: www.mcbride.com.au
