A sheep farmer in north-west Victoria has amassed what is believed to be the world’s largest collection of antique shearing handpieces.
Key points:
- Kevin Crook’s collection of 270 different shearing handpieces were made by 16 manufacturers
- One of the prized pieces is a 1894 Wilkinson Sword
- The items were picked up in various states but have all been restored to working order
Kevin Crook, who owns the award-winning Temaleuca Merino Stud at Ouyen, said his antique shearing collection was what the property was most famous for.
“We’ve been lucky enough to pick up some really strange and funny handpieces that have been built all over the world,” he said.
The collection contains 270 different handpieces that are all in working order.
“Twenty years ago, they were quite easy to pick up,” Mr Crook said.
“Now, collecting shearing handpieces has become very, very popular and some of them are making a lot of money these days.”
He said his favourite handpiece was a Wilkinson Sword that was made in 1894.
“They only ever made one,” he said.
“They had an agreement with another manufacturer called Burgon and Ball and they made one experimental handpiece and were about to test it, but the partnership failed, so that was the end of the manufacturing.”
Another one of Mr Crook’s favourites from the collection was produced in 1906 by a shearer who couldn’t afford his own handpiece.
Mr Crook said many modern handpieces were made in China and they weren’t of the same quality as the earlier models in his collection.
“Most of these were made in England and overseas, US big manufacturers early on,” he said.
“Back in the 1890s there were quite a few made with wooden handles, before they could cast steel like we do now.”
The handpieces were acquired in varying condition.
Mr Crook said it took a fair bit of time to make them presentable.
“Some were a rusted mess out of tips,” he said.
“Some of these handpieces have taken a day to get back in moveable condition.”
More than handpieces
Mr Crook also has a separate area of the shed that houses portable shearing plants from 1915 to the mid 1930s.
He said the equipment was towed from farm to farm with a horse team.
“In areas like this, where the farmer had maybe 200 to 300 sheep, the shearers would drag the shearing plant to the next door neighbour, shear them, pack up and move on to the next one,” he said.
“The formation of the Labor Party came out of the shearing industry and there’s so much history in the shearing industry, I just love it.”
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