Skip to main content

Story: Stock and station agencies

Inspecting wool

Image
Inspecting wool

Wool buyers inspect clips at a Dalgety wool store, in the early 20th century. The wool division of a stock and station company had the job of displaying its clients’ wool clips in the lead-up to auctions. These men have orders from manufacturers that they need to fill. They inspect each lot to find wool of the correct specification, then bid on it at auction. The wool on the floor has been pulled from the bales by buyers looking for faults and contamination as well as wool quality.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: 1/1-021706; G

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Hugh Stringleman, Stock and station agencies – Origins, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/17379/inspecting-wool (accessed 3 June 2026).

Story by Hugh Stringleman, published 1 March 2009.