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Breaking the Sheep's Back: The Shocking True Story of the Decline and Fall of the Australian Wool Industry (Prize Winner PM's shortlist 2012)

Author:

Charles Massy; Jack Lewis (Foreword by)

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Description

Breaking the Sheep's Back is the untold story of the events that led to Australia's biggest industry disaster. Once a great nation-building icon, the wool business today is but a third of its size when Australia 'rode on the sheep's back'. Compared to the more recent Australian Wheat Board scandal, 40 times more funds were lost in the downfall, and vastly more collateral social and economic damage was done in this country and across the globe. This story is a tragedy that reached into the offices of prime ministers and Cabinet members across seven federal governments and its agencies. Despite this politically sanctioned collapse, there has never been a royal commission. Until now, no one has investigated what precipitated the great crash of February 1991 or the industry ongoing decline. It has taken author Charles Massy ten years to research and write this book. In the process he spoke to most of the major players and gained access to the key documents and correspondence. He has gone inside cabinet and political offices, the Wool Corporation, the boardrooms of international wool buyers, wool processors and designers, and the living rooms of farmers across the country. Breaking the Sheep's Backis Massy's private royal commission - a must-read account of the decline and fall of the Australian wool empire.

Author description

Charles Massy is the author of the influential The Australian Merino.

General Fields

ISBN : 9780702238857
Publisher : University of Queensland Press
Imprint : University of Queensland Press
Publication date : August 2011
Dimensions : 230mm X 152mm
Availability date : May 2011
Product Type : books

Special Fields

Author : Charles Massy; Jack Lewis (Foreword by)
Bind : Paperback
Edition : 1
Language : English
Pages : 436
Illustrations : illustrations