Working Life in 90s Australia

 

Hello everyone, here we are at another Thursday and this week we have the second part about shearing in the 1890's.

 

It was a difficult job back then which could cause muscle soreness from bending and picking up the sheep.

 

A blade shearer might take up to four years to master the skill in the 1880's something called the Wolseley machine started being used this machine made it easier for unskilled workers to take up shearing. They could learn adequate skills within weeks.

The work was undertaken in huge woolsheds which might be divided into as many as 90 boards which are sections where individual sheep were shorn.

During the “off” season shearers did other itinerant work such as fencing, clearing land, rabbiting, and mining. Occupations associated with shearing included that of shearer's cook and that of tar-boy. A tar-boy was employed to cauterise any wound the sheep may receive.

 

The “white-collar” wool-classer would usually stay in the manager's house and was paid anything from one pound to 25 shillings 100 fleeces for his skill.