From:Stoke Stable Museum, Carcoar

Name/TitleFerrier wool press

About this objectLever wool presses markedly increased the efficiency of wool production during the nineteenth century by enabling large quantities of wool to be baled quickly and evenly for shipment to markets in the United Kingdom. An efficient type, capable of pressing three bales in 28.5 minutes (Walsh 1993: 106), the Ferrier wool press won notoriety as a machine that ‘made young men old and old men think’ (Moor 2009: 44). Originally used at Errowanbang Station, this press was sold at auction to Hilton Brown during the 1950s and subsequently used on his property, Rosedale, at Trunkey Creek until the 1970s when Mr Brown donated it to the museum.
Invented by James Ferrier of Coleraine, Victoria, the Ferrier wool press was manufactured throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries at Humble & Nicholson’s Vulcan Foundry, Geelong. A two-man travelling box press, the Ferrier applied pressure via a ram and monkey plate connected to overhead sheave pulleys by rope. The rope was wound on a large fusee at the base of the machine. Awarded first prize at the Ballarat Show in 1880, first order of merit at the 1880-1881 Melbourne International Exhibition, and praised by grazier Thomas Shaw (Wooriwyrite, Camperdown, Victoria) and woolbrokers Dennys, Lascelles, Austin & Co. (Geelong and Melbourne, Victoria), the Ferrier was an acclaimed and widespread wool press (Walsh 1993: 106-7). By today’s standards, the Ferrier has been described as ‘an occupational health and safety nightmare ... old horror machines’ (Moor 2009: 43), and the ability to operate one on one’s own was seen as a mark of a ‘real man’ (Moor 2009: 45). Walsh (1993: 112) points out the strains of the wool presser’s job, indicating that heart complaints were a common occupational hazard.
By 1907, approximately 1,500 numbered Ferriers had been purchased throughout Australia. The Stoke Stable press, numbered 1571, is thus dated approximately to 1907-1908. Originally costing £50, the Ferrier was an expensive item of plant, accessible mainly to the larger stations and wool brokers. As manufacturers such as Koerstz, Donald, Robinson & Co., and indeed Humble & Sons, produced smaller, cheaper wool presses, the ability of small farmers to deliver wool bales of comparable quality to those of the larger pastoralists increased. By the 1950s, over sixty electric and mechanical hydraulic presses ranging in price from £45 to £335 were available in Australia, including Humble & Sons’ own Ferriers’ Hand Hydraulic (£225: mechanical; £335: electric).
Currently dismantled due to space considerations, the Stoke Stable Ferrier wool press retains much of its original fabric. The paintwork, now faded and scratched in places, clearly displays the Ferrier trademark, manufacturer, serial number and decorative paintwork. White paint along the top of the lower box bears the letters ‘[...].L & Co.[...]’, perhaps a tantalising hint of the identity of a previous owner or supplier. Both Cliefden and Errowanbang retain extant Ferrier wool presses, with the Cliefden press dated to c. 1915 and the Errowanbang press to c. 1913. The Stoke Stable press is thus earlier than both local extant Ferrier presses. One of three Ferriers used at Errowanbang (B. Griffiths, pers. comm.) for approximately 40 years, the press was bought at auction by Hilton Brown during the 1950s and subsequently used on his property, Rosedale, at Trunkey Creek, until he donated it to the museum during the 1970s. The press proved to be a powerful and effective machine, generally requiring a team of three operators, although Mr Brown did operate the press alone on occasion (H. Brown, pers. comm.).

This press is historically significant as an example of late nineteenth and early twentieth century wool press technology. In its day, the Ferrier was one of the most popular and innovative wool presses available in Australia. Operating the Ferrier was a physically demanding task, and the physically imposing Stoke Stable press - even in its dismantled state - gives some indication of the machine’s power and the stamina required of wool pressers. The item’s provenance gives some indication of the ongoing value attached to Ferrier wool presses in the agricultural community throughout the twentieth century: originally one of three Ferriers used at Errowanbang, Hilton Brown regarded the fifty year old machine as a worthy addition to his own wool shed and retained it in operation for a further two decades. Space constraints at Stoke Stable have resulted in the press remaining in a dismantled condition, thus detracting somewhat from its interpretive significance and preventing the museum from using the press to its maximum potential. Overall, the current condition of the Stoke Stable Ferrier’s wool press detracts from its significance; however, the press’ significance would be magnified if it were to be fully re-assembled in appropriately sized accommodation.
Kim Tuovinen 2010

Object numberSS/09/050

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