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1938 - 1988

Laboratory Scour circa 1960

  • At the end of the Second World War the stock of Australian, New Zealand and South African wool in the ownership of the United Kingdom Government is 10.4 million bales. At a meeting of officials from each country held in London in April-May of 1945, the four governments form a joint organisation called, U.K. Dominion Wool Disposals Limited, to market and sell the stockpile, together with future clips, in an orderly fashion to ensure the stability of wool prices. By the end of 1951 all of the stockpile is sold, as well as the wool bought in by the organisation at the floor price.
  • In June 1945 the Wool Consultative Council is established for the purpose of providing advice on issues concerning the wool industry in Australia. The Council is replaced by the Australian Wool Bureau in July 1953.
  • Scientists in Europe and United States develop instrumental methods for measuring the mean fibre diameter, wool's most important characteristic. The projection microscope emerges and in 1947 the Airflow instrument makes an appearance.
  • Prosperity in the wool industry peaks in 1950-51 when the average greasy wool price reaches 144.2 pence per pound.
  • Over the next 20 years, wool prices generally continue to fall until 1970-71, when the price falls to $0.60 per kilogram.
  • In 1957, at the request of Wool Exporters, the Statutory AWTA is formed to test scoured wool exported from Australia.
  • CSIRO establishes the Divisions of Protein Chemistry, Textile Physics, and Textile Industry in 1958. WIth the formation of these Divisions research on developing objective systems for specifying wool characteristic begins in Australia.
  • Wool Marketing Committee of Enquiry enquires into present systems of marketing and promotion and reports on merits of other systems or improvements to the existing system.
  • Progress in developing standard sampling and testing systems for greasy wool continues. In the late 1960's a sampling and testing procedures for measuring Wool Base, Vegetable Matter Base and Mean Fibre Diameter are developed and approved by IWTO.
  • The Australian Wool Board replaces the Australian Wool Bureau in May 1963.
  • The Australian Wool Commission is created in November 1970.
  • The Australian Objective Measurement Project (AOMP), is set up in 1970. All branches of the wool industry are represented, including the AWC, and CSIRO is responsible for providing facilities for the program's research. The objectives are to investigate the technical and organisational aspects of introducing pre-sale testing as an aid to marketing.
  • Sale-by-sample is introduced as an optional marketing method for the 1972-73 season, after trials and demonstrations to acquaint all parties with the new techniques.
  • In January 1973 the Australian Wool Commission is replaced by the Australian Wool Corporation.
  • In 1974 a minimum reserve price is introduced to provide growers with a guaranteed minimum price for their wool. The scheme is funded by a proportion of the tax paid by growers on the value of shorn wool, and is administered by the Australian Wool Corporation (AWC), which purchases all wool not meeting the minimum reserve price at auction. This wool is later sold during periods of higher prices.
  • During the 1970's proportion of wool sold by sample increased to over 95%.
  • The availability of relatively inexpensive tests, based on Airflow, for samples drawn from rams encourages growth in the application of this technology by wool growers to accelerate their breeding programmes.
  • As a result of a Federal Government initiative the statutory AWTA is wound up in 1982 and, AWTA Ltd, a Company Limited by Guarantee, is formed.
  • In the early 1980's CSIRO and AWTA Ltd collaborate to develop sampling and measurement systems for determining staple length & strength. The Sale with Additional Measurement (SAM) trials are carried out and the TEAM project commences.
  • During the 1980's exceptional seasons and high demand leads to wool production increasing to over 1000 million kilograms .
  • With the support of a 5 cents per kilogram premium provided by the AWC within the reserve price scheme, presale Staple Length & Strength Measurements are introduced to sale by sample. Over the next decade the proportion of wool certified for Staple Length & Strength continues to increase.
  • Wool production increases and the price indicator soars towards 1000 cents per kilogram. The AWC increases the reserve price from 350 cents per kilogram to 850 cents.
  • The USSR, a major purchaser of Australian Wool, can no longer afford to maintain its imports.

Sources: The Woolmark Company, Australian Science & Technology Centre