Frank Grace, who now lives in Yass, began his wool classing career in the shearing shed on “Mt Erin”, Yass, in 1956 for the Patmore family.
This year, Mr Grace continues the close association, when he prepares his 60th consecutive clip for the third generation of the Patmore family, Chris Patmore.
Placing his stencil on the bales of fine wool grown from the 2,200 Demondrille-blood Merinos, Mr Grace recalls his introduction to the wool industry after he left school in 1953.
“I studied wool classing at St Josephs, Hunters Hill, and when I returned home it was the logical thing to complete a wool classing certificate,” he said.
“I was working on the family farm near Wee Jasper, and studied at Yass where the teacher would come across from Goulburn.”
The practical component of the course required Mr Grace to class a cross-bred and three Merino clips, each of which would be assessed at the wool store.
“I then did three further clips on provisional basis, before becoming a fully fledged wool classer,” Mr Grace said.
One of those clips was for the Patmore family, when Mr Grace classed in the shed newly built in 1956.
“The wool was very fine when I started,” he now recalls.
“I also remember when we weren't able to shear until October when the shearers who started in Queensland worked their way down south.”
Looking back over a lifetime in the wool industry, Mr Grace said one of the biggest changes he has seen was the move to lambing off-shears.
“It increased the lambing percentage because ewes gave more protection to their lambs, and fewer ewes died,” he said.
“When I first came home from school, I would ride around the lambing ewes, trapping rabbits and skinning dead ewes, and took at least four skins home each time.”
Mr Grace also noted the increase in profitability of wool growing properties on the southern tablelands following the use of pasture improvement and superphosphate after the war.
“I’ve had a very enjoyable 60 years,” he said, evidently recalling all the pleasant associations he has formed whilst classing clips in the Yass district.
He further remembers the industry advise to ‘get finer’ in the late 1980’s when the Reserve Price Scheme was closed.
“People did grow finer wool, but it cost them a lot of money,” Mr Grace said.
“They found when the clip became finer, the sheep weren’t cutting as much wool.”
Mr Grace is adamant sheep producers continue to grow lots of wool, and breed sheep for mutton.
“I’m blessed to be as healthy as I am, and I will continue to class as long as I can,” he said.
“I enjoy doing this shed: it is great fun because of my long association with the Patmore family, and working with really good roustabouts.”