Once a rare sight in a shearing shed, women are now working alongside men in one of the toughest jobs in the country. Here's why that's very good news for the industry.
Eighteen months ago, Maxi Armistead reached a point during most days when the tears would start flowing and she couldn't hide the physical and mental toll of trying to shear a procession of heavy, fleece-laden sheep.
"It's very different for girls. I think mentally, there's a lot to take in and I would cry a lot," she said. Ms Armistead was one of the 16 female shearers who made their way to the imposing 12-stand shearing shed at Telopea Downs.And along with a refreshing gust of enthusiasm, women like Ms Armistead are bringing a new approach to shearing that veterans of the industry say is improving some techniques that men have been using for decades.Glenn Haynes organised the workshop in his role as executive officer with the Shearing Contractors Association of Australia's Shearer Woolhandler Training Inc.
"There's no denying it's an extremely physical job and it can be quite taxing on your body, and as trainers we've learnt a lot over the past couple of years watching these girls balance sheep, the way they walk around a sheep. "If you tell yourself you're not this and that, that's what you'll believe, but if you tell yourself you can do something, you'll do it," she said."It doesn't matter where you come from or how many sheep you can shear, as long as you work hard, people will respect you.
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Shearer Shearing Sheep Female Male-Dominated Industry Masterclass Catherine Mullooly Glenn Haynes Maxi Armistead
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