Shearers & Some Sheds by John Arthur Barry

There are, however, other kinds of sheds, where, from beginning to end of the season, confusion and irritation are the keynotes to the whole business. An owner, owing to some unforseen circumstances, only succeeds in getting a scratch lot of shearers together, men who do not care much whether they shear or not, so long as they are fed. The first species are about getting licked into shape by the time the shed is cut out; with the second, life is one continual squabble. Some men, accustomed to hand shears, will fancy they can acquire the knowledge of how to use the machines without any trouble. Once it so happened that the whole outfit consisted of hand-shearers, who, because there were no others procurable, were sent to work the machines. A minute after the whistle blew to start, the board presented an extraordinary spectacle of men, sheep, and machines all intermixed, and rolling about in every direction. Disentangled at last, they were given another show, but to even worse purpose; and in the long run recourse was forced to be had to the shears. With these the men proved themselves expert enough. But each one of them had previously averred that he could use a machine to perfection.

In the smaller sheds of "out back," affairs may be generalised as "higgledy-piggledy. Unlike their contemporaries of "inside," the owners have to take what they can get, and be thankful.