News — australian wire strainer

One of the most rewarding experiences for me is visiting collectors who generously allow me to photograph their accumulated goodies. In return, I am often able to identify some of their unknown strainers, and provide the patent details. In early December 2022 while photographing strainers in a private collection, I found a strainer that I'd never seen (and I've seen and handled hundreds!), and one that has never been reported from Australia. In the same collection there was also a larger tool that appeared to be a chain wire strainer, but actually has a completely different purpose. The 2 in...

On 6 May 2022 at the Australian Fencing Awards, I was declared Champion 2021. https://australianfencingawards.com.au/dr-john-pickard/ The nomination acknowledged my contribution to our understanding of the history and technology of Australian rural fences. The award was unexpected because my research was little known outside a few historians and heritage professionals, although I had given bundles of all of my papers to farmers and others who I cold-called. That was my way of both thanking them, and by reciprocating and sharing knowledge. Receiving the award was also a pleasure. It is gratifying to have my research acknowledged by the very practical fencing...

Charles Osbern Ralph Walker didn't anticipate blatant copying of his wire strainer in a Tasmanian patent that was granted while Walker's patent was still in force. How did this happen? Why was a patent granted to such an obvious copy? What was the outcome?

"Why does the landscape look like it does?" This was the deceptively simple question, which marks the very beginning of my journey to understand fences, and ultimately, publish Australian Wire Strainers. It was the mid-1980s, and I was studying the impact of European occupation on the semi-arid rangelands of western New South Wales. With a research area near White Cliffs, I was unraveling the intersection of European influence, which included changes to the landscape, vegetation, and the history of management changes. A critical element to understanding European influence was the humble rural fences which are essential tools for defining paddocks...