Toganmain Station boasts a massive wool shed located between Carrathool and Darlington Point.

Built in 1875, in its heyday the property was that large that it had its own general store, carpentry and blacksmith workshops, wool scour, storage warehouse and medical centre.

All of the workers from the out stations would come here to get their supplies.

The main property was supplied mainly by stores in Hay and goods delivered by paddle steamer.

Situated between Darlington Point and Carrathool, Toganmain Station boasted 13 miles (20 km) of river frontage and was established in 1867 by NSW’s Colonial Secretary Sir Alexander Macleay as one of the first grazing properties in the region.

Thomas Robertson Senior bought the station’s original 167,000 acres (67,500 hectares) in blocks and it remained in the family until 1988.

During the final years of the 19th century, Toganmain became a focal point of violent union uprisings over workers’ rights, leading to the birth of the modern labour movement.

Disputes over pay rates erupted during the 1887 shearing season between unionists and non-unionists, and men who crossed the picket line were beaten and thrown in the river.

In literature, Banjo Paterson immortalised the property in his 1905 poem Flash Jack from Gundagai, which opens with the line “I’ve shore at Burrabogie and I’ve shore at Toganmain”.

Wool was taken from the station by paddle steamer to Echuca and then by train to Melbourne.

In September 1876, a record was set in the shed for 202,292 sheep being shorn by 92 blade shearers, and more than seven million sheep have been shorn in Toganmain woolshed.

The woolshed is one of the largest remaining in the Riverina.

Now a long time since its hey day, it holds an iconic standing in Australian rural history.

The shed has been out of action since the last shearing took place in 2001.

It was declared non-compliant with NSW WorkCover work, health and safety guidelines.

The Friends of Toganmain group is a band of determined and hardworking people of different origins, that want and have fought to try and restore this landmark.

They have launched a GoFundMe campaign to start that process with a goal of at least $25,000 needed to cover the costs.

The mini mum of $25,000 is for completion of the sub division, development applications, fencing, gateways, car parks and property admission, and essential work to stabilise the building, which has fallen into dire disrepair. The woolshed is part of Macquarie Bank's property group, Paraway Pastoral Company.

Happily, in November 2022, Friends of Toganmain had managed to gain possession of the Toganmain Woolshed and shearers quarters.

Christine Chirgwin, secretary of the Friends of Toganmain group, lives in Coleambally, and drives the considerable distance to Toganmain whenever she can.

Like many, she has a love and passion for the building, and would be devastated to see it de cline any more than it already has.

“Unfortunately, the shed has deteriorated significantly in the last two years,” Christine said.

“What once could have been quite a reason able project has become quite an extensive one. It is heartbreaking. It has gotten to the point where the massive beams holding the roof up are cracking.”

Although continued issues are still holding up the project to an extent, the group has an ambitious end goal.

“The aim is to restore it so we can open it to the public, so they can enjoy and learn about its considerable history,” Christine said.

“We want to, when the doors open to the public, have a button, where you press it and can hear the sounds of sheep shearing, an expert’s room where you can see sharpening of the blades, a wool classers table with wool classing going on, whether this is real life or videos and interactive displays.

“At the moment, we are in preservation mode. We have to level the floor, re-roof, and tasks like re-roofing are to be done with old tin, to keep in line with the heritage look of the building.

Meantime, Macquarie has allowed us to do some work, but we can’t do a lot.” Christine and the Friends of Toganmain are hopeful that other avenues of assistance will open up to preserve this piece of history.

“We are hoping to attain sponsorship for the project down the line,” she said.

“Us volunteers come from far and wide, many different places to come together and do what we can.

“It is such a shame, at one time there were grants and things out there that we could have applied for, but the issues have gone on for so long now that those opportunities have dried up.”