Benjamin Hams, A Life In Wool (DOCO 2026)

I’ve spent most of my life following in my father’s footsteps, swinging a handpiece for a living. It’s not an easy job, but it’s one of the industries Australia was built on. Shearing has taken me to all corners of the country, but some of my best memories come from the outback, working on “campout.” When you head out to one of these stations, you go prepared. There’s rarely any mobile reception, and every meal comes from the shearers’ cook. If they’re a good one, you’re laughing. If not… bad luck, you're only stuck with them for a month. The days are long and grueling. Depending on the time of year, you’re up before the sun and in bed long after it sets. The work doesn’t stop for heat either. 42 degrees just means someone might hang up a fan. It’s a full team effort. Once the first machine pulls into gear, everything falls into place. The shearers remove the fleece. The rousabouts and wool classer sort it into lines. The presser packs it into 180–200kg bales, ready for sale. The sheepo keeps the pens full as fast as they’re emptied. And the farmer… well, he’s usually yelling at anyone who’ll listen. It’s a hard life....but for most of us, there’s nowhere else we’d rather be.

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