A shear hard industry

In The Shearers, one of Australia's foremost chroniclers of the outback and the bush Evan McHugh brings us the story of Australia's shearers - people who have contributed so much to our national character, social landscape and folklore.

The Shearers covers a history spanning more than 200 years from the beginnings of the wool industry soon after the arrival of the First Fleet to the attempts at robot and chemical shearing of modern times.

It takes in the turbulent events that have long been part of the relationship between shearers and sheep owners.

From Tasmania to the north-west of WA, McHugh reveals the achievements and extraordinary stories of Australian and New Zealander shearers.

He chronicles everything from the bitter strikes of the 1890s that helped shape the Australian Labor Party to the struggles modern shearers face in a rapidly changing industry.

Shearers are known for their toughness, independence and skill, and battle natural disasters and industry turmoil.

From Tom Roberts' iconic painting "Shearing the Rams" to Waltzing Matilda, which was written on a Queensland sheep station, shearers are an integral part of what makes us Australian.

The Shearers present the definitive history of these tough men, giving an evocative, fast-paced insight into their work and lives.