1. In a country full of woolsheds, why these particular fifteen?
There were many possible woolsheds, but the fifteen woolsheds in the book were selected through a rigorous analytical process based on a set of criteria. The woolshed had to be in original or near original condition and preferably with a long history of family ownership. I looked for unique features such as building materials, differences in woolshed design, rare equipment and other historic farm buildings. Finding existing histories and associated stories was also important, and I considered how each woolshed represented the main sheep farming regions in New Zealand.
I probably visited around five woolsheds to find one for the book and although I had researched their history I never quite knew what I was going to find. Some woolsheds were treasure troves of shearing histories and in other historic sheds the interiors had been rebuilt and cleaned. I was shocked to find some historic sheds on my list were recently demolished.
2. You must have done some fairly intense road trips to get around them all.
I had incredible adventures on my search for woolsheds, driving for hours down narrow gravel roads, dodging logging trucks, stock trucks, potholes, cutting trips short due to severe weather warnings. The internet was often unreliable and I experienced first-hand the poor state of rural roads and big gaps between road signs, but off the beaten track the New Zealand countryside is stunningly beautiful. Farmers were often difficult to get hold of, and I soon learned that 7.30 at night was my best chance of contacting them.
3.And you must have met some great station owners. Whose story really stands out for you?
Jane and I had an unforgettable visit to Puketoro during shearing in mid-January. Staying with co-owners Leigh and Tennant McNeil in their big house overlooking the woolshed and farm buildings gave us rare insight into the day to day running of their thriving remote high country station an hour inland from Tokomaru Bay. The isolated community is one of the few stations where farming traditions can still be found: staff live on site with a permanent cook preparing meals in the cookhouse, shepherds work on horseback and shearers stay over in the historic shearers quarters down the hill from the woolshed.
Seeing Ruatoria Shearing gang at work in the old woolshed was a highlight. The family business spans generations and everyone is related and involved in some way— filling pens, catching sheep, shearing, rousing, sorting, pressing or cooking. Experiencing the woolshed in use no doubt added another dimension to the book.
4. And meeting the new generation must have been interesting. As owners of these historic buildings, let alone the actual farms, what do you think their challenges and responsibilities are?
Farmers are incredibly hard working and committed caretakers of their land, their animals, their history and their heritage woolsheds. Apart from the isolation, the long hours, and the day to day responsibilities, they are faced with many difficult issues such as low wool and meat prices, unpredictable weather patterns, climate change, and the high cost of shearing. There are health and safety regulations, pressure to update their equipment, and the ongoing cost of maintaining their aging woolsheds. For stations with a history of long family ownership there is also the matter of succession, who in the next generation will take the family legacy forward.
5. Favourite shed, and why?
I am passionate about all the woolsheds, but if I had to choose one it would be the magnificent Maraekakaho woolshed in Hawke’s Bay. It is a huge and distinctive building close to the road on State Highway 50. It is strikingly different due to the dark oiled weatherboards and a lift fitted to the front operated by a windlass under the front gable to take wool to and from a loft for storage.
Inside, time has stood still. Early equipment has been kept when it was replaced making it a rich source of shearing history. I have no doubt this is one of the most iconic woolsheds in the country.
6. You make the interesting point that the wool bale brands developed by each station were an early form of marketing. Many of the brands are beautiful and clever pieces of design. Which ones especially stand out?
The design of an axe brand at Maraekakaho was a clever marketing strategy to attract the attention of buyers at the London wool sales. The long thin brand was distinctive and memorable but also had personal significance for the owner Douglas Maclean. His Scottish heritage was represented in an ancient Lochaber battle axe stencilled on his wool bales going to England.
The design of the Prince of Wales feathers above the letter G represented John Grigg, the first of six generations at Longbeach in Canterbury. His flock of Southdown sheep was imported from Sandringham Estate, giving him permission to use the royal symbol for his brand. The provenance of the station represented in the brand is still used in marketing the station today.
The bell brand at Te Waimate Station in South Canterbury was a simple, versatile and recognisable symbol, although the origin is unclear. The brand was well known at wool sales in London, bell brand horses were popular in Australia for trams, and Te Waimate sheep were identified by a bell applied with paint after shearing. The brand was so important to the identity of the station that yew trees cut into the shape of bells can still be seen on their front lawn today.
7. As a result of working on this book did you develop a new respect for shearers?
Shearing is incredibly hard physical work. It takes stamina and skill to shear fast and clean while managing unpredictable sheep under the watchful eye of the boss. It is competitive — there is pressure on shearers who are paid by the number of sheep they shear, and compete for a position in the shed. The fastest shearer is on number stands next to the press and sets the pace.
Most shearing gangs travel to where they work which means early starts and long days. Once the music starts, it is all on. This is teamwork at its best with each person playing an important role in keeping pace with the shearer till the next smoko break. It is an impressive operation that is both compelling and exhausting to watch.
8. The research had been a longtime project for you and formed part of your PhD. What happened when the legendary photographer Jane Ussher came on board?
I first saw Jane’s work in Still Life: Inside the Antarctic huts of Scott and Shackelton (2012). It was moody and evocative with extraordinary attention to detail. She portrayed the hut in its environment and created a real life experience of the interior. When the beautiful Homesteads The Story of New Zealand’s Grand Houses book was published in 2020, I was even more convinced that Jane was the perfect person for the project.
Visiting a woolshed is a sensory experience and Jane has captured the rawness, the materiality, and the history — you can almost sense that distinctive woolshed smell of lanolin, sweat and manure. Jane understood the essence of each woolshed and brought it to life.
9. The story of our woolsheds is a bittersweet story, isn’t it, given wool sales are in such decline.
Woolsheds are ubiquitous in the New Zealand landscape and many people have fond memories of working and playing in them. The reality is that many are now disused and are in danger of being lost along with their histories. The declining number of sheep and low price of wool is continuing to threaten the long term future of sheep farming in this country. It is hard to understand how this could happen knowing the undeniable benefits of wool as the ultimate sustainable resource this country has ever produced.
10. What do you hope readers will take from this book?
My aim was to create a lasting record of some of the most significant historic woolsheds in
New Zealand and record their histories and heritage objects. The stories speak of vision, resilience and resourcefulness of early farmers and the woolsheds are their legacy.
Shearing histories told through objects found in the shed include handmade stencils that carried the identity of the owner to international markets on the other side of the world. This is a branding history of New Zealand’s first export brands, some of which have stood the test of time.
The book is a celebration of the architectural, economic, cultural and social contribution of sheep farming to the history of the nation and a sober reminder of the importance of wool today.
