BLADE-SHORN wool from the re-enactment at North Tuppal station of the Tom Roberts’ famous Shearing of The Rams painting will be sold in Melbourne by Elders and Rodwells next week.
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In a unique sale, Elders and Rodwells would offer machine and blade-shorn Merino fleece prepared by volunteer shearers, wool handlers and classers working the full 72 stands of the North Tuppal shed for the first time in 100 years last month.
More than 13,000 people watched 111 machine and 79 blade shearers, 107 wool handlers, penners-up and classers wrest the wool from 6000 Merino sheep, including from 178 Steam Plains rams, in the Sports Shear Australia event on June 4 and 5. The event was held to raise funds to send Australia’s team to the Shearing World Championships in Wales this month and to Trans-Tasman test matches.
Now a month later, on July 7 Rodwells will sell a bale of 18.7 micron Merino ewe weaner fleece donated by North Tuppal owners Bruce and Shane Atkinson, with the proceeds to go to an international charity.
Rodwells wool manager Michael de Kleuver said the sale would be an opportunity for brokers and buyers to participate in the historic event. The buyer of the bale would also receive a ‘Shearing the Rams – Tuppal Station’ print by Chris McClelland and a highly valued commemorative blue top worn by North Tuppal re-enactment participants.
On July 8 Elders will offer two bales of blade-shorn Steam Plains rams' wool as one lot. The sale proceeds have been donated by Steam Plains’ owner, the Paraway Pastoral Co. Ltd, to Sports Shear Australia. The buyer would receive a mounted photograph of the Shearing of The Rams re-enactment. A bale of pieces has also been donated to SSA by Paraway.
“We wanted to support Sports Shear Australia, shearers and wool handlers because the industry is vital to us,” Steam Plains manager Magnus Aitken said.
Elders key account manager Andrew Combe at Horsham said he believed it was the first time the company had offered two bales of blade shorn ram’s wool as one lot. Blade shorn ram’s wool is normally blended in with machine-shorn wool.
Elders and Rodwells would also offer another 180 bales from North Tuppal wool over the two days. Mr Atkinson said it was the first time he had marketed blade-shorn wool – about 20 per cent of the clip was shorn with blades this year. He said the sheep were shorn extremely well and he was happy with the quality of wool preparation.
“They were shorn as good as I’ve ever seen.
“We know that all the people in that shed were professionals.”
