NORTH Tuppal Station owner Bruce Atkinson was dead right with his prophetic words.

"There is more interest in the wool industry than perhaps common conversation in the media depicts," Mr Atkinson told The Weekly Times.

No one anticipated the North Tuppal shearing re-enactment would prick the conscience of young, old, rural and urban the way it did.

By 8.15am on Saturday, June 5, 2000 people had arrived at the Riverina woolshed to see, touch, smell and feel living history.

By 11.30am, the crowd had swelled to 10,000, with cars queued for 30km back to Tocumwal.

People endured hour long waits just to get in the carpark, followed by queues of up to two hours to access the shed.

Catering teams were caught off guard with plans to feed an expected 4000 visitors.

Two hundred litres of soup, 2500 hamburgers, 2000 scones, 30 litres of cream and 25kg of raspberry jam were downed in an instant.

The nearby towns of Berrigan, Finley, Tocumal and Deniliquin were raided for extra supplies.

Elders auctioneer Ron Rutledge said 56,000 hits on the Elders website had indicated something big was looming.

"This event has attracted people from all walks of life and it is a moment they will treasure and remember," Mr Rutledge said.

"It is the single biggest event in the Riverina pertaining to livestock and wool."

A team of almost 50 guides toured people through the 110-year-old, 72 stand shed - renovated by $500,000 worth of voluntary labour.

Nobody complained about the wait, just used the time to catch up with old and new friends.

"We've seen more neighbours today than we would see at home," Savernake wool grower Alex Sloane said.

National shearing judge and re-enactment co-ordinator Peter Artridge said the event drew people from every corner of Australia by road and air.

Mr Artridge said the committee was left numb by the crowd of 15,000 over two days.

He said the event was a one-off with no plans to hold it again.

Serpentine wool grower Geoff Weeks said it was once in a life time experience to see blade shearing in an historic shed.
"The big woolsheds are a dying art and there is much more interest in them than we realise," Mr Weeks said.

Koonoomoo dairy farmer Mick Hyde demonstrated century old skills in loading a horse drawn wool wagon for visitors.

"We are part of history, in fact, we are making the damn stuff," Mr Hyde said.

"The response as been damn unbelievable - it is scary.

"Everything that is old is new again - if people don't do these skills we will lose them and I figure I've got to help."

National blade shearing champion John Dalla said the shearers had received rock star treatment.

"People were taking photos, even when I walked over to get my gear - it was pretty cool," Mr Dalla said.

"To be part of 72 blade shearers was an indescribable feeling.

"It was a magnificent event and will be remembered for a very long time."

Ron and Pat Redman drove 700km from their home at Kingston, South Australia, to see North Tuppal.

"It's turned the pages back in history - Australia is in danger of these skills being lost," Mr Redman said.

For shearing in the 21st century, timelines will now be talked about in pre and post-North Tuppal terms.

Lake Mokoan woolgrower Doug Bain paid $3200 for 100-year-old blade shears, still in their original packaging, auctioned on the day.

"This represents things I'm passionate about - it is an industry I love," Mr Bain said.

"It is something I've got now forever to remember North Tuppal."