North Tuppal Station woolshed staged a re-enactment of Tom Roberts’ painting The Shearing of the Rams and operated its 72-stand shed to full capacity for the first time since 1910.

About 3000 school children watched the re-enactment on Friday before thousands more people made the trek on Saturday.

Sports Shear Australia spokesman and co-organiser Mark Baldwin, of Berrigan, said organisers were overwhelmed.

“We were hoping for 4000 and might be lucky to get 5000, but 10,000-12,000 turned up on the Saturday,” Mr Baldwin said.

Mr Baldwin said it was hard to know why the event had resonated with so many people.

“People came from all walks of life: older people with grandkids, people came from Sydney and Melbourne, people who had never been on a farm in their life,” he said.

“The wool industry and the shearing industry built this country and everyone there yesterday had a common interest.”