The Shearers and Rural Workers Union, Australian Shearing, 1995

This material of historical interest has been uploaded for the purposes of scholarship and research. It was originally broadcast in Australia by Channel Nine's "Sunday" program in 1995. It contains a superb representation of the different cultural attitudes that existed within the Australian shearing industry, and of union and farmer organisations. After a final ruling on the controversial "wide combs" by the Australian Industrial Commission in June 1984, the industry underwent profound changes. The Australian Workers Union lost much of its influence. A new agreement between the AWU and the NFF permitted weekend shearing, which hitherto had been strenuously resisted. A new more militant union was formed (featured in this video) but it struggled to make an impact, despite the muscular claims of its main spokesman in the segment. The long and complex history of shearing is told in "Mateship and Moneymaking, Australian Shearing: The Clash of Union Solidarity with the Spirit of Enterprise, 1895 - 1995" by Rory O'Malley, published by Xlibris. There is also a thesis held at the University of New England by Rory O'Malley dated November 2003: "Shearers from New Zealand in the Australian Wool Industry (circa 1955 to 1995). The website shearinghistory.com is also useful.

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