Shine Awards: The wool broker from the suburbs

The western suburbs of Sydney may be a long way from the woolstores of Victoria, but it’s here this broker has found a home.

As self-appointed custodian for wool through the supply chain, Ballarat’s Samantha Wan sees it as her responsibility to care for farmer and fibre alike, as wool passes from the shed to the auction room and, ultimately, the consumer.

This city girl-turned-farmers’ friend grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, and now works as an auctioneer and broker for Elders in Victoria.

She’s also become a producer in her own right, and runs a small flock of Merinos with her partner on their property, Silfra Ponds, at Gordon.

From the ‘burbs to bales, Elders auctioneer and broker Samantha Wan is a leader for women and those from non-agricultural backgrounds. Picture: Zoe Phillips

While her childhood may have been firmly entrenched in the suburbs, a chance encounter with a sheep during her high school education set this 35-year-old on a path to agriculture.

“I went to a school that had a couple of black Corriedale sheep, and a really great ag teacher … he’s really the one that opened the door and showed what can happen on a farm,” Samantha said.

After school, a degree in ag science at Sydney University followed, before Samantha became involved in the wool industry as a broker.

Samantha undertook three months of industrial training at the Australian Wool Testing Authority in 2011, before starting work at Elders in 2012.

Elders auctioneer and broker Samantha Wan at the lectern in Brooklyn, Victoria. Picture: Zoe Phillips

But it was a while before she could muster up the courage to step up to the auctioneer’s lectern, picking up a gavel in December 2014.

In 2018 Samantha was named Elders employee of the year.

Further accolades followed, including the 2019 National Council of Wool Selling Brokers of Australia’s Annual Wool Broker Award and the 2019-20 WoolProducers Australia, Youth Ambassador.

She said without a family background in agriculture, she wanted to gain as much industry experience before she considered taking on the responsibility of auctioneering.

“This is everything that they (growers) have worked for in a year to get it to market, for it to be sold in a couple of seconds. I really wanted to make sure I had that grounding before I stepped up to that position,” Samantha said.

“I’ve only been able to get where I am because of those who have come before me.”