Hume and the Great War: WW1 and the wool industry

Feeding and clothing the troops were major concerns at the outbreak of the Great War. Australian industries, in particular agriculture, were pivotal in sustaining the war effort and farmers from Hume were no exception.

When the war started, wool and wheat were not just this region’s staples, but a key export industry for the entire country. In 1913-14 about 25 per cent of Australian wool exports had gone to Germany and a further 40 per cent to France and Belgium.

From 1914 and over the course of the war, demand grew considerably for wool and food products like meat and dairy. Our farmers became major suppliers of frozen meat to Britain and its allies, meanwhile wool became regarded as a strategic commodity, crucial for the millions of uniforms required for the allied defence forces.

But instability in trading markets abroad and cash-flow problems at home meant Australia’s pastoral industries initially faced uncertain times as a result of the war. Wool sales were suspended at Albury for two months. Meat and dairy products destined for England were delayed at port partly because Germans raiders were waiting to reportedly disrupt trade with Britain.

Even our region’s own sheep king, A.B. Triggs, was brought to his knees during the Great War.

As his grandson, retired Yass farmer John Storey attests, Triggs’ empire started around Yass and, at its peak, comprised up to seven million acres of land, owned and leased, and more than one million sheep on properties throughout NSW. But the trilogy of war, drought and the stoppage of all financial facilities threatened him with bankruptcy.

Indeed much of the country’s wool production, which represented one third of exports in value terms, was in danger of not being sold due to the cancellation of existing trade agreements with Germany and Austria-Hungary.

The Australian government was keen to make sure Australian wool, wheat and meat reached Britain to help with the war effort there. In late 1916 the Australian Government passed a law giving it the power to compulsorily acquire the whole wheat and wool harvests under the War Precautions Act.

At the request of the British Government, a Central Wool Committee was appointed to put a price on all wool available and oversee the disposal of the clip. Goulburn – already a major wool store and selling centre – became a major appraisal centre for wool bought by the Empire.

The price at the time was 55 per cents above pre-war values and local farmers were generally supportive of the scheme because it provided a form of protection during such unstable times. Yet authoritative wool historian, Charles Massy, says Australian farmers were ultimately the losers, as the set price did not account for war-driven inflation. The profit margins between the prices paid for wheat and the cost of bread ranged between 75 to 100 per cent. Consequently, wool and wheat prices became a central issue in the lead up to the 1919 election, with Australia’s primary industries sector languishing.

With primary industries such a main part of the economic and social fabric of this region both then and now, we acknowledge its place in history during the Great War – the contributions it made to that effort and the impacts it had to bear.

Thankyou to John Storey for sharing images of his grandfather AB Triggs.

Angus Taylor MP

Angus Taylor and long time Yass resident John Storey, the grandson of AB Triggs

Sheep King' Arthur Bryant Triggs - right - and 'Cattle King' Sidney Kidman - left

When the war started, wool was not just this region’s staple, but a key export industry for the entire country.