About AWTA Ltd

AWTA Ltd's Head Office in Kensington, Victoria

The Australian Wool Testing Authority was established in 1957 by the Commonwealth Government of the day in response to requests from the Australian wool industry. Royal Assent was given to the enabling legislation to create the Australian Wool Testing Authority (AWTA) as a statutory authority reporting to the Minister for Primary Industry on 12th September, 1957. In presenting the Bill, the Minister for Primary Industry, the Hon. William McMahon said:

"The purpose of the Bill is to establish a Wool Testing Authority to control and administer a wool testing service in Australia. The legislation is the result of many months of investigation by a committee of wool buyers, brokers, scourers, fellmongerers and carbonizers, C.S.I.R.O. and officers of my Department, which examined in detail the possibilities of starting a testing service in Australia, the need for which has been felt for many years. The Australian Council of Woolbuyers was largely instrumental in the formation of the Committee and wide support for the proposals has been evident all through the negotiations."

The first meeting of the Authority was held on 12th December, 1957 under the Chairmanship of Mr W.H. (Bill) Lempriere. Members at that meeting were:

• Mr W.H. Lempriere (Australian Council of Wool Buyers)
• Mr J.S. Gale (National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia)
• Mr R.W. Duncan (Wool Scourers, Carbonisers and Fellmongerers' Federation of Australia)
• Mr K. Fraser (Deputy for Mr T.G. Carter, Australian Wool Bureau)
• Mr I.F. McLaren (Commonwealth Government)
• Mr A.E. Wallace (Commonwealth Government)

Following the formation of the Australian Wool Board in 1962, AWTA was established as a separate Division within that organisation on 1st July, 1963. AWTA subsequently retained the same status within the Australian Wool Corporation when it was formed by the amalgamation of the Australian Wool Board and the Australian Wool Commission on 1st January, 1973.

AWTA Ltd was established as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 14th May, 1982 to enable the functions of the statutory AWTA to be transferred to the private sector.

The new company commenced operation on 1st July, 1982. The new structure ensured that the industry retained an independent and impartial Test House, dedicated to providing the service and accuracy required, but at a minimum cost.

AWTA's history is synomonous with the transformation of wool production, marketing, valuing and processing from a reliance on subjective appraisal to objective systems of assessment.

Traditionally, the hand and the eye were the major tools used to determine the value and processing attributes of wool. Subjective judgement of individual bales was used to assess Yield, Vegetable Matter and Fibre Diameter and potential processing performance. This necessitated large showfloor areas and storage space, and time consuming and costly handling and inspection by brokers and buyers

Research by the CSIRO, University of New South Wales, University of Leeds and the Gordon Institute found that a stronger correlation existed between measured results for Fibre Diameter, Yield, Vegetable Matter, Staple Length and Staple Strength (key determinants of sale prices), and the predictabiluity of the processing performance of mill consignments than with subjectively assessed estimates of the characteristics.

AWTA Ltd has played a major role in providing a bridge between the research and the commercial application of testing technology, by facilitating further research and development, sponsoring and participating in practical trials, and developing and implementing relevant national and international standards, procedures, methods and technology, providing major benefits to all segments of the wool industry in Australia and overseas.

As a result:

• Virtually all Australian wool is now measured prior to sale.
• Wool is prepared for sale according to objective rather than subjective clip preparation standards, with some growers preparing classed lines on the basis of individual fleece measurements.
• Wool is generally displayed for sale in sample boxes rather through the old showfloor technique.
• Wool is valued and bought with the aid of actual measurements for Fibre Diameter, Yield, Vegetable Matter Content, Length, Strength and sometimes Colour, with Coefficient of Variation of Fibre Diameter also available.

Measurement has also facilitated computerisation and the expansion of electronic data processing and market reporting, and the establishment of auction and individual clip databases which provide unparalleled and exhaustive information to all segments of the industry, with each having equal access to that information on a commercial basis. To-day, wool processors can confidently expect that wool purchased to their price and processing specifications, with the benefit of AWTA Ltd certification, will perform to their requirements, and growers are assured of being paid according to the objective specification of their wool.