After initially taking time to breed sheep suited to the climate, the colony’s graziers had, by the 1840s, successfully crossbred merinos that met the British Empire’s relentless demand for high-quality wool. By the late 1800s, flock sizes had increased dramatically, and shearing sheds were hives of activity. Graziers introduced mechanised shearing to enhance productivity and […]
The steam engine hummed and clanged to a steady beat and the machines buzzed and whizzed. Fine sawdust scented the air and coated every surface. From the 1860s, J.G. White’s furniture factory in Morpeth was equipped with all the newly invented, thoroughly modern power tools, saving countless hours of laborious hand sawing and carving. It […]
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