Charlie Dunn is only 13 years old but he has already found his passion in life and has been hard at it for the past eight years.
Growing up on his family’s farm at Culcairn, in southern New South Wales, Charlie started shearing sheep when he just was five years old, with his first pair of blade shears.
Charlie Dunn in the shearing shed at age 5. (ABC Rural: Cara Jeffery)
“Mum and Dad were always shearing, and I just always wanted to have a go,” he said.
“Mum wouldn’t let me use what Dad was using, so he got me a pair of blades so I learnt how to shear with them.”
“I don’t really know why I like it so much — it’s just so fun.
“Everyone goes away on holidays as a family but we just shear as a family.”
He eventually got his hands on a modern electric hand piece, and in December 2024, during the Christmas holidays, Charlie broke his personal record and shore 150 sheep in one go.
“Some people get quite surprised when they find out and think I’m telling them lies,” he said.
Charlie with his 150th sheep in December 2024, next to his sister Matilda. (Supplied: Donna Dunn)
Charlie has been around sheep his whole life, and has picked up a few points on what makes a good shearer.
“A good shearer paces themselves all day, and is clean,” he said.
“You’ve got to try to cash out on the good ones and the tough ones, just keep chipping away at it.”
Bringing back the blade shears
Charlie has been asked to give blade shearing demonstrations at this weekend’s Lost Trades Fair in Jindera, NSW.
The teen said he was excited to show people but it had been a while since he picked up the blade shears.
Charlie is a year eight student at St Paul’s College at Walla Walla, NSW. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
“You don’t get as many done as you do with the electric ones but it is fun to have a go with them every now and then,” Charlie said.
“I don’t know how those old boys did it back in the day — it would have been pretty hard.
“But I’m excited to show people how to do it, it’s good fun.”
Next generation of shearers
Currently in year 8 at school, Charlie already has plans for the future.
He wants to shear full-time and work in agriculture.
When he is not shearing sheep, Charlie is convincing his parents to buy ewes so he can breed his own lambs.
Charlie is keen to continue shearing after he finishes school. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
“Hopefully I can start shearing full-time for a few years and then come back to the farm,”
he said.
The wool industry has long struggled with finding enough shearers to do the job, but to Charlie the solution is quite simple.
“Tell them that it’s fun and try to get them to come out here to the farm and they can have a go,” he said.
“I love shearing with my mates — I’ve got a couple of friends who are learning from their dads and uncles and I’d love to shear together eventually.”
