Four Elders clients have had the opportunity to host an international wool delegation on their properties this month, including representatives from Hugo Boss, Marzotto and G Schneider.
Members of the delegation examine a fleece at ‘St Enochs’, alongside Elders Ballarat District Wool Manager Elliot Lindley.
The whole wool supply chain, including growers, brokers, buyers and designers, came together this month at a variety of Elders client properties across Victoria and New South Wales.
The European visitors hailed from luxury German fashion house Hugo Boss, Italian textile manufacturer Marzotto and supplier and processor G Schneider.
The group visited Elders wool clients based at Ballarat, Adjungbilly, Hamilton and Goulburn, and were joined by their District Wool Managers Elliot Lindley, Tim McMeekin, Andrew Howells and Michael De Kleuver respectively.
Visitors were able to get an up-close look at shearing on the properties, as well as an overall view of the wool production process, including key sustainability elements. Australian wool already has a well-established brand and reputation for being environmentally-friendly, and this was of particular interest to the group.
The delegation visited property ‘St Enochs’, just outside Ballarat, where Elders District Wool Manager Elliot Lindley was pleased to show the delegation around, alongside woolgrowers, the Bain family.
“We were able to show the delegation where wool actually comes from, and even the sheep that it comes from,” Elliot said.
“It is really important to us that the fashion houses and garment manufacturers understand where their fibre is coming from, and it is pleasing that they are taking such a keen interest.
“It was great to show the group the high quality of wool that Australian growers are producing.
“We were also able to showcase how the Bain family sustainably look after their land and their sheep. The group were interested to hear about the selective grazing of grassland and how farmers look after their animals in the best possible manner.”
This comes after a delegation from Uniqlo got on-farm at an Elders client’s property in Queensland earlier in the year, and Chinese-based Mercury Group were welcomed to a client’s property in New South Wales in July.
The delegation on-farm at ‘Bohara’ at Breadalbane, just out of Goulburn, with Elders client Riley Edwards.
The group at ‘Bongongo’ at Adjungbilly, with client Paul Graham and Elders District Wool Manager Tim McMeekin.
Tim Hill, manager of ‘Tiverton’, shows the group around the property near Hamilton, Victoria, with Andrew Howells from Elders.
Meet the team:
