Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 228

Sheep shearing in New England [indeclipherable] by the Big river road & by Mudgee to the Goldfields also, that the shearing class of men in the rural sheds up to the month of December 1857, has been as numerous & likely to continue so throughout the [indecipherable] as in most previous years although taking these men as a body, the flockmasters this year make this remark -' that the Shearers are of an inferior description, few of them being found in the Shades who can Shear more than sixty sheep in a day, whereas in former years, before the gold mining districts were worked, Shearers were found in the Shades who could turn out from one hundred to one hundred & twenty sheep per day.
Previous to the flocks being removed beyond the Boundaries, & when the valley of the Hunter was Considered a fleece country, Shearers were seldom allowed to turn out more than sixty sheep a day - Flockmasters beyond the Boundary do not Confine the men to numbers, but are strictly careful that the sheep are properly shorn - This year washers are paid at four shillings a day with the Customary ration. Shepherds for shepherding & watching a flock of sheep are paid this year at the rate of thirty pounds per annum, with the usual single ration, & for shepherding only at twenty two pounds per annum, Watchmen are paid at the rate of £20 per annum.
Flockmasters in arranging the prices with the Shearers frequently leave the prices open, & state to the men that their prices will be regulated by what the neighbouring Settlers are paying or likely to pay, & under this understanding the men are generally content, & agree to shear the flocks, both master & man being anxious to get forward with this importantwork, the master to see that the sheep are properly shorn, & the men to turn out a good shearing score out of the flocks, Thus the busy season passes off not without laborious, but as far as the shearers are Concerned hard work -
In 1853 men were paid for washing sheep with five shillings a day and shearers were paid four shillings per score in the whole of the northern districts say, from Port Curtis to the Liverpool range of mountains, At these prices the men consider they can earn as much as at the diggings, A change to their former occupation the shearing & to be among their old acquaintances induces them during this season to leave the goldfields for a time the usual number of shearers & washers have come forward this year.
Thirty Pounds is paid for Shepherding this year & twenty six pound for watching. Forty five pounds are paid for stockmen including the Hut keeper.
Shepherds engaged for shepherding & watching are paid Forty pounds while in some parts of the country shepherds are engaged at £28 & watchmen at £24 per annum
In 1854 Shepherds were hired with the customary ration at

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 228

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Volume 01: Production and resources of the northern and western districts of New South Wales, 1854 [ca. 1850-1857] - Page 228

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