Shearers Past and Present

A Rare Breed

The shearer is a man picked out of ten thousand. He is unique. His manners and customs are different to those of other men.

He is to be studied like a rare animal. He is an abnormal growth upon the body politic. Shearers now are different beings to what they were some years ago.

The shearer of twelve years back was quite another person to the off-handed, well-to-do fellow who condescends to take "15 shillings a hundred" for hacking the wool off your half-bred merinos.

Hard Working - Hard Drinking

The old shearer is given to walking. He is brown, or rather mahogany-colored. His face is seamed with many a wrinkle. His hands are gnarled and knotted with age and labor. He is prone to wearing blue jumpers much opened in the throat, and his brawny, brick-dust colored chest is exposed. He dresses in moleskins.

His swag is small. He smokes whenever he does not chew. He always has a tin cap on the bowl of his pipe. He can swear considerably. He has, as a rule, been sent out at his country's expense. He is known by a nickname - usually uncomplimentary. He is familiar in bush publics. He knocks down his cheque with immense glee.

Bush Philosopher

If asked by the boss, "what brought him out here?" he will reply, " Setting a fish- pond on fire!" and laugh grimly. He can show scars on the back. Round the shearers' fire he will not disdain to tell tales of the "other side."

He is terribly learned about sheep. he has a general contempt for the owners of runs, and calls them "blokes," "coves," and "bosses," with prefixed adjectives of unpleasant meanings.

He always carries a "billy". He is fond of tea. This shearer cannot read, but he can play euchre with much success. He is cunning in bush lore.

He can cook like a Soyer in the rough. He makes "spotted devils", "puff-tilooners", and other quaint compounds of sugar and flour.

He despises fences. He has a mortal antipathy to "bullock-punchers." He cannot ride much.

Useful But Annoying

He prides himself on his shearing. He can "do" his 160 a day - if you let him. He is great at coiling. He sings bush songs. He detests the police. He is given to swearing that his "tally" is wrong in the shed.

He always grumbles. He drinks brandy neat. He can build anything with an axe and a piece of green hide. He is useful, but annoying.

The New Breed

The new Shearer is always "flash". He knows all about racing. He reads "sporting news". He is young and "limber on his pins". He is not bad at a rough-and-tumble fight in a public-house bar. He knows all sorts of dodges at wrestling. He can give "cross buttockers" and "back falls" innumerable. He does not care for stand-up fights much.

He rides, especially buck-jumpers, and he does not care for fences. Is usually decently mounted. A bit of broken-down blood, "bought off a man in town", or a " young one" from his last station.

Shed Scallywag

He drinks, smokes, and curses in equal proportions. He can shear well if he likes. He is apt to "run" his neighbors. He objects much to have his sheep "raddled." He is always suggesting RsmokoR and wanting to knock-off.

He is proud of his shears, and keeps their points covered with leather. He will, however, always abuse the ones obtainable on the station. He is great on "stones"; he will buy two or three in the course of a "shed," and two bottles of oil to each stone; he will endeavor to repudiate the same when he is "getting his check.

Sunday Sinner

He amuses himself in his leisure moments by cracking stock-whips, at which he is an adept. He is a great hand at getting a good "pen", and is not above slipping a contumacious ram over into his neighbors.

He has some preference for town, and takes his trip to the big smoke every year. He dresses in "store clothes" on Sunday, and if he does not loaf about the kitchen talking to the housemaids, will ride over to the nearest public-house - if there is one handy.

He is either economical or madly extravagant, and will either become a well-to-do free-selector, or die broke.

Source: Trove Digitized Newspapers - The Brisbane Courier - 31 December 1867 - National Library of Australia