Kōrero: Shearing

Once the dirty ends have been removed, the fleece is rolled up and put into a wool press and compressed so bales can hold as much as possible. This press was one of the earliest to arrive in New Zealand. It was made in Australia in the 1860s from Australian hardwood, and was used at Terawhiti Station near Makara, Wellington. It uses the double box system, in which a cap in the top box is forced down by a capstan or winch to compress the wool. This press was in use for over 100 years, although during the 20th century presses driven by machine or electricity were widely used.