Steph Brooker Jones is the District Wool Manager for Elders in South Australia’s Lower South East. She’s spent more than four decades in the wool industry, building a career that has taken her from the back of a shearing shed to the front of industry change. Now, she’s finding ways to support others on their own path.
Her journey started in 1977, fresh out of school and flicking through a careers book.
“It was either wool classing, artificial insemination, or becoming a governess,” Steph said.
“I picked wool classing, even though I’d never been in a shed before.”
What began as a way to travel turned into a 40+ year career in an industry that, at the time, wasn’t considered a place for women. Steph and her friend Susan were the only two women in a class of 50 in South Australia’s first full-time wool classing course. They were also the first two women to complete it.
“Some companies just wouldn’t hire us, because ‘women weren’t in wool’,” she said.
“But we persisted. And we found our way.”
From those early days, Steph went on to work in shearing sheds across South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, New Zealand and the USA. She shifted from wool classing to private buying and joined Elders over 20 years ago, becoming one of the first female wool managers in the company.
“At a time when the industry was going through big changes, Elders was willing to back women,” she said.
“That made all the difference.”
Steph has seen the industry transform, through the wide comb dispute, the collapse of the Reserve Price Scheme, the move away from Merinos, and the rise of cropping and composite breeds in the South East. But one of the most profound changes she’s witnessed is the role of women.
“When I started, women weren’t even accepted in shearing sheds,” she said.
“Now, more than 90 per cent of Elders’ wool team are women. We’re not just in the sheds, we’re leading them.”
Mentoring the next generation has always been part of Steph’s work, whether training shed staff, running fleece judging at local ag shows, or working one-on-one with new staff in the Elders network. She’s also taken on trainees and has hosted school students and young professionals for work experience.
“If someone’s genuinely interested, I’ll always make time for them,” she said.
From roustabouting and classing fleeces to speaking at industry conferences and travelling internationally with Elders, Steph’s worn a lot of hats. She has built a career that is technical and people-focused and she’s proud of the network that has come with it.
“I’ve been lucky to work across every part of the industry, from the old timber wool stores to modern robotic handling systems,” she said.
“And I’ve made friends all over the world because of it.”
Steph was awarded the Australian Wool Industry medal from Federation of Australian Wool Organisations (FAWO) in 2018; a highlight in a career built on persistence, relationships, and curiosity.
Her advice to young people entering the industry?
“Be yourself. If you’ve got common sense and a willingness to learn, you’ll go far. And if you’re passionate, it won’t feel like work.”
