Last week wool auction prices soared at charity auctions held by wool marketing and brokering company, Australian Wool Network (AWN) as they raised funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) during its 90th anniversary year.
This year’s auction saw the ‘strongest in decades wool market’ reflected with a record total amount of $17,460.40 being raised with six bales of Merino wool donated nationally from AWN’s wool selling catalogue and auctioned off in Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle.
In Sydney two lots of wool, ranging from 16.7 to 17 micron were sold for a total of $6,927.
The successful buyer, Murray Bragg from New England Wool, who bought the wool on behalf of iconic Italian fabric house Vitale Barberis Canonico, was delighted to be able to help out the RFDS.
“We’re all in this together,” Mr Bragg said.
“And I know if I was ever stuck out in the bush I’d like to know the RFDS was there for me and the same goes for our woolgrowers and their families.”
The bidding in Melbourne was just as vigorous with the two bales, ranging from 16.2 to18.2-micron purchased by Lou Morsch on behalf of another of the world’s most pre-eminent Italian wool processors, Modiano, They also placed above the market value at $6,341.
On the opposite side of Australia in Western Australia, two bales, both 17.2 microns, raised $4192.40 for RFDS WA. This was purchased by agent Russell Frazer from Tech Wool Trading.
Over a period of 15 years, AWN has raised a total of $144,680.02.
The auction is always held during the final week of the financial year wool selling season and the proceeds are donated to the RFDS to help them continue their vital work in rural and remote areas.
“Each year the dollars raised assist our wool growing clients on the land and outback to be able to access services that would otherwise not be available to them,” Managing Director of AWN John Colley, said.
“The RFDS is always there - providing extensive primary health care and 24-hour emergency services to people over an area of 7.69 million square kilometres. This is a great opportunity for AWN to give back.
“To simply say thank you to the RFDS for looking after our mates in the country who work so hard to keep us in wool and our dynamic industry alive and thriving.
“It was great to see our big year in wool sales, reflected in the total amount raised this year”.
Prue Steel, senior coordinator, community fundraising, RFDS who attended the Sydney charity auction, was full of praise for all involved.
“It’s wonderful to see a regional based industry giving back to rural and remote communities,” she said.
“Tthe RFDS really values AWN’s support each year and it’s even more special to get such a bumper result during our 90th anniversary year.”
