The Woolshed Rumour Mill – Grinding Good People Down

You can hear it before you see it. Not the whine of the handpiece or the thump of the press — I’m talking about that other sound. The low murmur in the pen. The side-eye at smoko. The whispered “Did you hear…?” that travels faster than a bloody southerly up the Waitaki Valley.

Every shed’s got one. Some mills just hum in the background. Others are flat out, 24/7, churning out yarns quicker than a gun shearer on peeler lambs. And here’s the kicker — doesn’t matter how big or small, the end product is always the same.

Gossip. Bullshit. Speculation. Stories with more twists & turns than a wool bale falling off the truck!

I’ve been on the sharp end of it myself. People reckoning they know where I’ve been, where I’m going, what I’m having for tea — apparently even what colour my shit is. Half the time it feels like the whole bloody district knows what’s “going on” in your life before you do.

And it’s not just me. In my 19 years of contracting, I've always heard stories about the crew and their “escapades” outside of work. Who was seen where, who was with who, and what drama they’re supposedly tangled up in. Most of it’s total crap — but I’ll be honest, it eats away at you slowly. Doubt creeps in, and you end up thinking, “Shit, is this somehow my fault? Have I not led them right? Am I a shitty boss?”

People treat these situations like they’re your kids and you’ve raised them wrong. But let’s be clear — that’s bollocks. If you’ve met my kids, you’ll know that idea’s a load of shit. As contractors and employers, we can set the standard, give people a good culture, good tucker, fair conditions, and plenty of backing. But some people just aren’t what they’re cracked up to be when they turn up. What they do outside the shed isn’t our failure. It’s on them.

Here’s the truth: If half the people running their mouths actually spent a day in someone else’s boots — felt the pressure, the long hours, the "other" stuff bubbling away in the background — they might just shut up before they talk. Because the rumour mill? It can belt a person’s mental health harder than a kicking Poll Dorsett Ram with no juice.

Why It Matters

It’s not just “banter” or “shed talk.” It does damage. Real damage.

• Relationship Breakdowns - Seen it, lived it. A shearer and wool handler were tight as. Then the whispers started — “Oh, she’s seeing so-and-so” or “he was out with her last weekend.” Utter bullshit. But once it was out there, trust was toast. They split. Had to be split up into different crews. And bang — two solid workers gone, all over a story that wasn’t even true.

  
  

• Crew Squabbles - Have you ever tried running a crew where half of them aren’t talking and the other half are glaring? Useless. Work slows, morale dies, and the farmer’s standing there thinking, “What the fuck are these clowns up to?”

  
  

• Mental Health Fallout - This one cuts deepest. Being the target of gossip is like having a shadow follow you everywhere. You’re in the van, the shed, even at the bloody pub, and you feel eyes on you. It’s draining as hell. I’ve seen good people walk away from shearing altogether because they couldn’t hack the constant whispering. Example: A young wool handler had to take a week off for family reasons. Next thing, the shed had her “hooked on drugs” and “away on a bender.” She came back, couldn’t handle the side-eyes, and was gone within a month. Good worker lost to bullshit.

  
  

• Industry Reputation- Farmers hear it too. Doesn’t matter if it’s true — once that seed’s planted, you’re marked. I know of crews who lost sheds because one farmer “heard” something dodgy about a shearer. The contractor had no clue why the phone stopped ringing.

The Truth About ‘Innocent’ Listeners

Here’s the bit most people don’t want to hear — if you’re standing around nodding, smirking, or chucking in a wee “Oh yeah, I heard that too…” — you’re just as bloody guilty.

• Without an audience, gossip dies.

• Saying nothing while someone slags someone else off? - Still counts as giving it oxygen.

• Passing it on “just in case” or “for a laugh”? - Congratulations, you’ve just become the courier service for bullshit.

• Laughing along makes you an accomplice - Doesn’t matter if you “didn’t mean anything by it” — your laugh tells the gossiper they’re entertaining, not damaging.

• Sharing it as ‘advice’ still makes you guilty - Wrapping it up in “just looking out for you” doesn’t make it noble, it just spreads it faster.

• Even listening quietly makes it feel safe - People only keep talking because they know you won’t call them out.

• Saying ‘don’t tell anyone I told you’ is bullshit - You already have. You’ve just made yourself the weak link in the chain.

• Standing by is the same as standing with - If you don’t shut it down, you’re helping hold the ladder for the person running their mouth.

Caught in the Mill? Here’s What You Can Do

It’s easy to say “ignore it,” but when it’s your name doing the rounds, it stings. Here are a few things I’ve learned (the hard way):

• Don’t Chase Every Whisper - If you go around trying to shut down every rumour, you’ll wear yourself out. Pick your battles. Some rubbish is better left to die on its own.

• Front-Foot It (When You Need To) - Sometimes the best way to kill a story is to tackle it head-on. A simple, “Yeah, nah, that’s bullshit — here’s the truth”, can stop people cold.

• Lean on Your Mates - Find the ones who’ve got your back and stick close. Let them run interference when the crap starts up. A solid mate saying “Nah, leave it” carries more weight than you fighting it alone.

• Talk It Out - Carrying it around eats at you. Have a yarn with someone you trust. Could be a mate, could be family, could be your boss. Sometimes just saying “This is doing my head in” is enough to take the sting out.

• Look After Your Headspace - Eat, sleep, move, and do something outside the shed. When your mental tank’s empty, gossip hits twice as hard. When you’re topped up, it bounces off easier (fucking true story).

How to Support, Not Spread

For everyone else — if you’re not the one in the firing line, you’ve still got a choice. Be part of the problem or part of the fix.

• Shut it down: “Mate, that’s not on. Leave it.”

• Change the subject: “Speaking of which, who’s on for pies after work?”

• Check in quietly with the person being talked about.

• Believe them first.

• Back them up when their name comes up again.

For Contractors, Team Leaders & Senior Staff – Shutting Shit Down

If you’re running a crew or you’ve been around long enough to know better, you’ve got a bit of extra weight on your shoulders. How you deal with gossip sets the tone for everyone else. If you laugh along, the message is “this is fine.” If you shut it down, the message is clear — this crap won’t fly here.

Here’s how to deal with it when the rumour mill fires up in your shed:

• Call It Straight Away - Don’t wait until it’s done the rounds. The moment you hear it, cut in with something like: “Nah, we don’t do that shit here. Keep it to yourself.”Quick, sharp, and shuts the air out of it.

• Ask the Question - Put the pressure back on: “Would you say that to their face?” Nine times out of ten, the answer’s no — and it makes them think twice about running their mouth again.

• Private Word if Needed - If someone keeps at it, pull them aside. Make it clear: “This gossiping’s poisoning the crew. You want to stay on, knock it off. ”People listen harder when they know their spot’s on the line.

• Back Your People Publicly - If a name comes up in gossip, be the one who says: “Nah, they’re a good bugger, leave it.” That kind of public backing can squash a rumour dead.

• Make It About the Work - Remind everyone why you’re there: “We’re here to shear sheep, not spread shit.” Simple, clear, and straight back to business.

  
  

Remember — contractors and team leaders are judged on how smoothly the shed runs. A gossip-fuelled crew is slow, messy, and a nightmare to manage. A crew that knows gossip’s not tolerated? Faster, happier, and way more professional.

Bottom Line

The shearing shed should be the best place in the world — hard graft, plenty of laughs, pride in the job. But let the rumour mill run wild, and it’ll chew up your people faster than a round comb on a scummy merino weather hogget.

So when the whispers start, have a think:

• Is this actually funny, or just a cheap shot that could wreck someone’s day?

• Am I about to make their job harder, their crew colder, or their headspace darker?

• Would I say this to their face, or am I just being a coward behind their back?

• Does this help the team, or does it just add more bullshit to the pile?

• Am I starving the rumour mill, or am I one of the dickheads feeding it?

Starve the rumour mill — if you wouldn’t say it to their face, then don’t bloody feed it.