The Finest Certified Tests Measured by AWTA Ltd
Australia is renowned for producing the world's best merino apparel wool. Premiums exist for bales of wool with the lowest fibre diameter or 'finest Micron'. There is competition among specialist producers of fine wool to hold or break the record for the finest bale.
The table below is an historical list of the finest sale lots tested and certified by AWTA Ltd back to the 1992/93 season. Whilst there may be others that have achieved the same mean fibre diameter (MFD), the lots listed here were the first to be measured at the respective micron values.
| Tested |
Laboratory |
Brand |
MFDµ |
Method |
Jun-11 |
Melbourne |
PYRENEES PARK |
11.2 |
O |
Dec-09 |
Melbourne |
HIGHLANDER ULTRAFINE |
11.4 |
L |
Nov-08 |
Sydney |
HIGHLANDER ULTRAFINE |
11.5 |
L |
May-05 |
Sydney |
HIGHLANDER ULTRAFINE |
11.6 |
L |
Mar-06 |
Melbourne |
KADINIA/BRIM |
11.7 |
L |
Nov-04 |
Melbourne |
WOOL FACTORY/HORSHAM |
11.8 |
O |
Feb-04 |
Sydney |
PRIMERINO |
11.9 |
O |
Feb-03 |
Melbourne |
NERRAWAK |
12.0 |
O |
Apr-02 |
Sydney |
HIGHLANDER ULTRFINE |
12.1 |
O |
Jan-02 |
Melbourne |
NERRAWAK |
12.5 |
O |
Apr-01 |
Sydney |
HIGHLANDER ULTRFINE |
12.9 |
O |
Mar-00 |
Melbourne |
KARROO |
13.2 |
A |
Mar-98 |
Melbourne |
WOOL FACTORY/HORSHAM |
13.3 |
A |
Nov-97 |
Melbourne |
WOOL FACTORY/HORSHAM |
13.4 |
A |
May-96 |
Melbourne |
WOOL FACTORY/HORSHAM |
13.5 |
A |
Mar-95 |
Melbourne |
KADINIA/BRIM |
13.7 |
A |
Dec-94 |
Melbourne |
KADINIA/BRIM # |
13.8 |
A |
Jan-93 |
Melbourne |
KADINIA/BRIM |
14.3 |
A |
Jan-92 |
Melbourne |
KADINIA/BRIM |
14.5 |
A |
# Now known as the "Million Dollar Bale"
Note: Methods are (L) Sirolan Lasercsan - introduced from July 2000
(O) Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser (OFDA)
(A) Airflow meter (replaced by Laserscan)
More data covering the production of superfine and ultrafine wool in Australia can be found elsewhere on this website at;
Trends in Fine Wool Production
Micron Profiles for the Australian Wool Clip