A SIGNIFICANT collection of historic hand shears and pieces has gone on display at Wedderburn’s Engine Park.
Members of the historical engine and machinery society displayed the collection dating back more than a century at its annual rally this month.
Barry Finch said the collection had been amassed by Charlton’s Charlie Sultana, a society member who died several years ago.
He said there were more than 40 handpieces, branding irons, drench guns and many more shearing blades.
“Charlie used to take his collection around to rallies and shows, displaying them from his trailer,” said Barry.
“We are glad to be able to now have his collection and put it on show.
“Charlie wasn’t a shearer just a great collector of pieces from our agricultural heritage.”
One of the oldest pieces is an 1888 Wolseley piece.
Frederick York Wolseley (1837–1899) was an Irish-born New South Wales inventor and woolgrower who invented and developed the first commercially successful sheep shearing machinery  
Wolseley’s invention has been credited with revolutionising the Australian wool industry.
There are also Burgon and Ball handpieces made in Britain by a firm still in business almost 300 years after setting up in Sheffield.
James Ball patented a manufacturing process for the production of solid steel sheep shears in 1865. 
The company says his design used the best cast steel rather than the more usual iron blades of the time. At its peak, annual production of these shears would top 300,000 pairs.
By 1897, Burgon and Ball was a substantial international company exporting to regions including South America, North America, Australia, the West Indies and New Zealand.
A decade ago Burgon and Ball stainless tools were officially endorsed by Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society.
Shearing collector Peter Lott was among those to admire the Wedderburn display at the rally.
A member of the Port Philip Historic Machinery Society, Peter regularly attends events in Wedderburn and was among the first to admire Charlie Sultana’s collection.
He said there was “fierce but supportive” competition among collectors looking for rare pieces from Australia’s shearing past.
“Burgon and Bolt is still making hand shears today with the same machinery used 150 years ago,” he said.
Peter said his small collection paled when put against the Sultana display in the Wedderburn society’s reconstructed shearing shed.
“Australia was built on the sheep industry and shearing and Charlie’s collection really does help tell the story of an industry,” said Barry.
Barry and Tom Chalmers said the display had added to interest in the rally’s shearing demonstrations and awareness of the district’s former wool expo, honour boards for the event not held this century adorning the wall.
“Charlie’s collection is one of the best displays I have ever seen,” said Barry.
Burgon and Hall estimates it has manufactured 25 million sets of shears  in Sheffield in its 280-plus year history.
Some of those are now part of the Wedderburn collection of Charlie Sultana.