Interpretation of The Shearer's by Henry Lawson?

I would venture to say that this story about sheep shearers is centered about the large sheep ranches in Australia. The shearers would be hired to come in the spring time to shear the wool. Almost a nomadic existence going from ranch to ranch. The poet is giving tribute to them, literally men of the earth and the task that they perform in earning a living. In a larger way it speaks of all who manually labor doing honest work or straightness as the poet says.