1950-1959: Laying Foundations for the Future

1949

IThe Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is renamed the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Louis Tanner (Chief Chemist, US Customs Laboratory, Boston) and W Edwards Deming (Advisor in Sampling, Executive Office of the President, Bureau of the Budget, Washington DC) provide a statistical model for sampling bales of wool and for estimating the errors involved.

1951

IWS sets up in Germany.

Selling of all of the stockpile built up during the War, as well as the wool bought in by U.K. Dominion Wool Disposals Limited at the floor price, is completed.

Prosperity in the wool industry peaks when the average greasy wool price reaches 144.2 pence per pound.

An attempt to establish an international reserve price scheme fails. Australian growers vote against establishing an Australian scheme.

New Zealand establishes its own reserve price scheme. Instead of distributing profits from the sale stockpile wool post war to wool growers (as is the case in Australia) the New Zealand Government retains its share (approximately £NZ 20,000,000) and uses these funds to provide finance for the reserve price scheme.

South African growers decide against a reserve price scheme for the time being. In order to ensure that finance will be available if a scheme is to be agreed later, growers decide that unused balance of wool levies paid by them from 1946-1951 to meet South Africa's share of the costs for operating the Joint Organisation (U.K. Dominion Wool Disposals Limited) will be retained in a Wool Levy Fund, under the administration of the Secretary of Agriculture.

The free testing service provided by the AWRC is well supported with, the Sydney Test House recording a total of 2,400 samples tested for the commercial trade, plus a further 32 samples tested for the East Sydney Technical College.  The equivalent Report by the WA Chief Valuer stated that an average of 120 samples per sale had been tested in duplicate.

The AWRC estimates that the free testing service is costing around ₤1.00 per test.  This is considered too costly, particularly as its own role is shortly coming to an end, and it is agreed that the laboratories should be shut down altogether.  Tenders for the equipment are invited.

The tender for the WA equipment is  awarded to Dreyfus because it had offered to make the facilities available to other buyers, to rent the site at No. 1 Store, Mandurah Road, South Fremantle, and also to employ the current Officer-in-Charge.

An independent Laboratory is established in New Zealand by the New Zealand Government for the purpose of testing scoured and carbonised wool exports.

1952

IWS sets up in Japan

Wool promotion levy increased, at the request of wool growers, to 4 shillings per bale.

Although advertised by the AWRC for sale by tender, some laboratory equipment is presented by the Government and people of Australia under the Colombo Plan, as a contribution to the greater welfare of the people of India.

New Zealand establishes the New Zealand Wool Commission to administer the reserve price scheme in New Zealand.

1953

The AWRC advise Kreglinger & Fernau (Aust) Pty Ltd that its tender of ₤1, 625 for the equipment from the Adelaide laboratory has been accepted.

Faced with the reality of the major wool buying houses having their own private laboratories, the general trade begins to realise that they are at a competitive disadvantage and need access to an independent wool testing service.

In Australia the Wool Bureau replaces the Wool Consultative Council, and continues the role of the former Australian Wool Board, first established in 1936.

1955

The South African Wool Act of 1946 is amended to provide for the establishment of a Wool Stabilisation Fund. Wool Levy Fund balances are transfered to the new fund. The Wool Stabilisation Fund is placed under the control of the South African Wool Board. With the approval of the Minister for Agricultural Economics the fund can be used for any purpose which, in the opinion of the Minister, will promote stability in the wool industry. The fund is further augmented by a special levy paid by wool producers.

A rapid method for estimating the mean fibre diameter of Wool Tops using the Airflow is announced by IWTO, based on the work of Anderson and later Montfort. This method is later to become IWTO-6, “Method of Test for the Determination of the Mean Diameter of Wool Fibres in Combed Sliver using the Airflow Apparatus.”

1957

An Investigating Committee made up of wool buyers, wool selling brokers, wool scourers, carbonisers and fellmongers, the CSIRO and the Department of Primary Industry, concludes that the wool industry requires a statutory organisation that would be recognised internationally as being independent to provide an impartial and efficient wool testing service for the Australian trade.  The Australian Wool Testing Authority is formed as a separate statutory body to test scoured wool exported from Australia. The Authority is established in September under the Australian Wool Testing Authority Act, 1957.

The first meeting of the AWTA Board is held on 12th December, under the chairmanship of Mr W H Lempriere.

The Australian Government's Wool Research contribution is increased to 4 shillings per bale, and the grower levy for promotion is also increased.

1958

South African Wool Commission commences operations, with capital amounting to approximately £SA 10,000,000.

The Statutory AWTA commences operations at the opening of the wool season at its new laboratory in a CSIRO building at 351 Royal Parade, Parkville in Melbourne, Victoria. Dr J A Dixie is appointed as director.

The Authority announces it will be shortly opening condition testing laboratories in Sydney and Fremantle.

AWTA's Fremantle condition testing laboratory is opened using facilities provided by the Western Australian Department of Education.