By the 1890s wool scours were beginning replace manual methods of washing grease, dust and burrs from the fleece and by the early 1900s large steam-driven scours had come to dominate the wool industry. These were usually located in urban centres. However, in western Queensland mechanical scouring plants were erected at towns and rail sidings in the grazing areas of Charleville, Barcaldine, Ilfracombe, Blackall, Longreach, Winton, Julia Creek, Richmond, Maxwelton and Alba near Hughenden.

Alba woolscour was owned by Andrew McMaster, a brother of Fergus McMaster the founding chairman of the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service (Qantas). The McMaster brothers...