Woolsheds were not what Annette O’Sullivan set out to write about but they have become hugely important to her.
A design academic and former senior lecturer at Massey University, Dr O’Sullivan had no rural background and had never set foot inside a woolshed but her interest was captured when she came across a wool bale marked with the station’s brand.
A passion for typography — the style and appearance of printed material — led to her fascination with the stations’ brands which were an early form of marketing, she said.
Their brand represented them when the wool was sold overseas and was what identified their bales on ships and at sales.
Initially her research into the stencils was for her PhD.
Then she was asked to create a travelling exhibition on stencils which was shown at historic properties.
"People kept saying you should write a book."
So she did.
Travelling the country and looking into woolsheds initially gave her a list of 70 options.
That was eventually cut to 15 which had to meet set criteria.
They had to be in original or near original condition and preferably with a long history of family ownership.
Unique features such as building materials, rare equipment and design were all factors.
Which explained why the Onslow Station woolshed remains, at Millers Flat, were excluded.
Once the buildings were selected Jane Ussher became the photographer of choice, Dr O’Sullivan said.
"Visiting a wool shed is a sensory experience and Jane has captured the rawness, the materiality and the history."
She said they were also a great place to find old items as nothing seemed to be thrown away from them.
With the decline in wool prices, woolsheds were at risk, she said.
Woolsheds is a beautiful reminder of what was once the backbone of our economy.
