Wool specimen from a ewe over 1.5 years
Object No. F206
The wool collection held by the Powerhouse Museum contains thousands of wool samples collected between 1804 and 2003. These samples provide a record of wool growing in Australia. The different fleeces reflect the breeding programs and environmental conditions under which the fleeces were grown and, as such, they provide a valuable history of the areas of Australia in which sheep were grazed. Sheep were introduced into Australia in 1788 from Cape Town in South Africa. Since then sheep from other countries, including the Spanish Merino were imported into Australia and selectively crossbred. Careful crossbreeding, paying particular attention to the impact of the environment on both animal and fleece, led to the evolution of the Australian Merino. It is an excellent example of the engineering, through selective breeding, of a domestic animal. Wool went on to become the mainstay of the Australian Economy from 1807 to 1960. This particular wool specimen comes from a sheep bred at Larra station in Victoria. Larra was an influential sheep stud in Victoria. It was purchased by John Currie in 1844 and based on quality Tasmanian Saxon ewes. Currie was one of the key figures in merino breeding in the 1850s and 1860s via his involvement with the famous wool classer Thomas Shaw. Larra sheep were famed for their size and bulky wool covering and in the 1870s they were in enormous demand in Australia. The sheep were also exported to leading studs in United States of America, New Zealand and South Africa. In the early 1870's Currie's flock appears to have become a significant factor on Wanganella, with the Peppins using his stock. Wanganella was one of the most prolific merino breeding properties in the 1800s and today over 70% of merinos in Australia are descended from their breeding stock. Erika Dicker Assistant Curator September 2007 Reference: Charles Massy. 'The Australian Merino', Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Victoria, 1990.
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Summary
Object Statement
Wool specimen, ewe over 1.5 years, bred by J L Currie and Company, Larra, Victoria, Australia, 1888
Physical Description
Wool specimen, ewe over 1.5 years, bred by J L Currie and Company, Larra, Victoria, Australia, 1888 Wool specimen from a ewe over 1.5 years. There is pink tape tied around the middle of the specimen and a small green tag attached to the tape. This sample of wool was tested in June 2007 by the Interactive Wool Group. They used the OFDA2000 instrument for fleece testing. The following are the results for this specimen: Microns: 18.4 microns (2.9 Standard Deviation) (average fibre diameter) Staple length: 80 mm Mean fibre curvature: 124.7 Dg/mm (A measurement in degrees per mm related to crimp frequency) Comfort Factor: 99.7 % (The % of fibres equal to or less than 30 microns)
DIMENSIONS
Width
120 mm
Depth
40 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The wool was produced between 1888 by J L Currie and Company in Larra, Victoria, Australia.
HISTORY
Notes
In 1890 Alfred Hawkesworth, honorary wool-classer to the Museum, noted the following about this specimen which was entered in the Centennial International Exhibition Melbourne 1888-9: Competition for the most valuable fleeces of ewes wool, unskirted, over 1 ½ years old, which has been previously shorn: This specimen is of great length of staple, very close, well proportioned, showy, kind, silky, and lustrous wool; the fibre is pure, sound, grandly serrated and elastic; condition perfect; will give full weight in top. Spinning quality 90s, value 15 ½ d per lb. (Alfred Hawkesworth's valuation). This class, for cutting the most valuable fleeces, contained most interesting and numerous collection from the principal Colonies, representing that type of wool termed useful and profitable, ie a great weight of fleece per sheep, at a medium price. These exhibits are grown in many varied climates, and in almost every condition under which sheep farming is carried on in these Colonies. Messrs Currie and Co placed third by a most attractive, stylish well bred wool, 364 days growth. This class of combing is a great favourite with the users, a type that has placed Western Victoria in the most favoured position. This wool has the distinction of having the highest value per lb in this class, which is only 2d per lb less than the washed Grand Champion entry from Ercildoune. Alfred Hawkesworth, Technological Museum, Sydney, Descriptive Catalogue No 1. Raw wools and specimens to illustrate the woollen manufacture. Sydney Government Printer. 1890 Originally donated by J L Currie and Co, Victoria, Australia, 1889. This wool specimen is part of the Bill Montgomery Wool Collection which consists of approximately 7000 samples. In the older part of the collection there are 5000 samples from Australian sheep fleeces grown between 1856 and 1906. The samples were collected by the Museum at a time when scientific research was prominent in the Museum's activities. In 1979, when the Museum's focus changed, most of its wool collection was transferred to the teaching collection of Mr Bill Montgomery, a wool classing teacher at Newcastle Technical College. When Bill retired from the College, the collection was again in danger of being thrown away. He took the entire collection home and stored it in his garage for 15 years. His Collection also contains approximately 1500 wool samples grown between 1950 and 2000 and collected by Bill himself. It includes 147 examples of faults and stains occurring in Australian flocks, 20 pigmented wools and 33 rare and extinct breeds from around the world. The Museum purchased the entire collection in 2003. Bill Montgomery died on 7th July, 2007.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Purchased 2003 (originally gift of the J L Currie and Company, 1889)
Acquisition Date
31 March 2003
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