Pastures Past: The evolution and challenges of wool transport in New Zealand

On July 8, 1927, the NZ Herald published a photo of modern wool transportation. Image / Papers Past

Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

You took your own life in your hands when getting wool to market back in the day.

Even loading up a horse and cart and travelling to load your wool onto a boat would have been no easy task.

I can imagine a pack train of horses carrying wool bales, making their way from a backcountry station in Ruatoria, balancing on a precipitous route only wide enough for a horse and bale.

The men guiding these animals must have had nerves of steel!

Even the introduction of motor lorries and trucks came with its share of problems.

This can be seen in the 1948 article in the Central Hawke’s Bay Press below.

Poverty Bay wool.

Gisborne stores busy.

Increased motor transport.

[By Telegraph.—own correspondent]

New Zealand Herald, November 29, 1924

Once again wool is pouring into Gisborne from all parts of the district and the wool stores have assumed their summer activity.

The wool is being sorted, graded, and dumped as fast as it is brought in from the country.

A feature this year is the greatly increased use of motor-lorries.

In past seasons the bulk of the wool had to be transported by horse waggons, but the significant improvement in the district roads during the past year has enabled motor lorries to go where only horses were used formerly.

A photo in the Northern Advocate, published on March 17, 1936, shows wool transported on Lake Wakatipu. Image / Papers Past

It is as yet difficult to tell the amount of wool which will be sold on the local market and what quantity will be shipped to England.

The Turakina, which has just completed loading at Gisborne, took 3278 bales for sale on the London market.

The smaller coastal vessels are now busy transporting wool to Napier.

About 2500 bales of Poverty Bay wool will be sold at the December sale at Napier.

Many of the Gisborne farmers are holding back their clips until such time as definite news is received as to whether or not a sale is to be held in Gisborne during February.

Shearing advances

New season’s clip

Transport to stores

Gisborne Herald, November 6, 1947

Wool-laden lorries, transporting freshly-clipped wool from the stations to the Gisborne stores, have been becoming a common sight within recent weeks, and brokers report that the wool is now coming freely from all parts of the district, including the East Coast.

With shearing well in hand in most districts, it is reported that some stations have their first rounds almost completed and are preparing for their second rounds.

While the season was approaching there was still some anxiety concerning the supply of wool packs, but they are now coming to hand in quantities to meet the needs of the growers.

The bales handled in the Gisborne stores to date have been reasonable in weight and, from inquiries made, it appears that there are no unusual features in the shearing this season.

Wool truck capsizes on Wanstead Gorge Road

Central Hawke’s Bay Press, November 13, 1948

A lucky escape from what could have easily been serious injury was experienced by Mr. C. Ross of Poranagahau, yesterday morning when a heavy truck he was driving towards Waipukurau capsized on the gorge road at Wanstead.

Mr. Ross was transporting a load of wool which apparently shifted and, as he was negotiating a bend in the road near the summit, the truck, travelling at a slow speed, failed to balance and completely capsized.

Although the truck received damage to the cab, Mr. Ross escaped injury.

- Source: Papers Past