Story: Rural workers

Hand shearers

Hand shearers

A gang of shearers hand-shear sheep at Waverley, Taranaki, in 1906. The shears put a lot of strain on hands. They were made of steel and naturally fell open – the shearer had to repeatedly squeeze the shears to bring the blades together.

Using this item

Whanganui Regional Museum
Reference: B/AGG/84

Permission of the Whanganui Regional Museum must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Carl Walrond, 'Rural workers - Itinerant workers', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/17201/hand-shearers (accessed 17 May 2024)

Story by Carl Walrond, published 24 Nov 2008