Wool in Australia 1788 - 1838
Within 50 years of settlement sheep had moved
into every colony, the annual wool clip was over two
million kg., and wool had become Australia's main export.
The first auction of Australian wool was held at
Garraway's Coffee House in London in 1821 and brought
$2.27 per kg. To gain higher prices on the London market,
sheep were washed before shearing, clean wool was pack in
bales for shipment, and research commenced to investigate
and control problems with sheep diseases.
Besides the Spanish breed, Saxon and Vermont
Merinos were imported , together with English breeds such
as Lincoln, English Leicester and Border Leicester. From
these breeds, sheep were evolved to suit the Australian
climate.
Wool in Australia 1838 - 1888
Woolgrowers experienced boom periods and
depressions. At one stage, when prices fell drastically,
it was more profitable to boil down sheep to extract
tallow, and tan their hides for leather.
Wool auctions began in the 1840's, but the bulk
of the wool clip was still sold on the London market
throughout the 19th Century.
George Peppin assembled a Merino flock in the
Riverina. The Peppin Merino strain which emerged is now
the most numerous and productive wool growing sheep in
the world. Woolgrowers fought drought, fire and flood, as
well as an unpredictable overseas market. Their fortunes,
together with the fortunes of the country, rose and fell
on these fluctuations.
Before the development of railway systems, other
forms of transport for wool included riverboats which
were used along the Murray, Darling, Murrumbidgee and
Lachlan Rivers. Camels were also used in the hot, dry
inland. Wool was shipped to England and Europe via the
Cape of Good Hope by fast wool clippers. The days of the
clippers came to an end with the opening of the Suez
Canal and the introduction of steamships.
The influence of Gold:
The disadvantages
During the gold rush period sheep were killed to
provide meat for the goldfields, shepherds and other
station workers left to seek their fortunes and gold
topped wool as the leading export.
The advantages
On the hand, fencing of paddocks reduced
expenses -one boundary replaced several station workers,
sheep were naturally suited to the wide open grasslands
and as a result their condition and fleece quality
improved.
Wool in Australia 1888 - 1938
By the 1930's, wool represented over 62% of the
total export value of primary products. Australia's fine
wool was in great demand worldwide.
Shearers began to form unions in the late 1880's
to seek a uniform rate for shearing and better working
conditions. After years of conflict between pastoralists
and shearers, the early unions united in 1894 to form the
Australian Worker's Union.
The first shearing machine was invented by
Frederick York Wolseley in the 1880's. By 1990, most
sheds had switched to machine shearing. Today's shearing
machine is still based on the Wolseley design.
During one of the most severe droughts in
Australia's history, from 1895-1903, sheep numbers fell
by almost half. It took nearly 30 years for flocks to
build up to the previous record of 106 million.
When pastoralists began to spread further inland
away from river frontages, the practice of washing sheep
before shearing had to be discontinued. Most of the clip
was now exported as greasy wool.
By the mid 1920's, nearly half the wool clip was
still bought by Britain, but Japan and the United States
were emerging as major buyers at auction sales throughout
Australia.
At the request of woolgrowers, legislation was
passed requiring them to pay a tax on all wool produced
and sold in Australia, the proceeds to be devoted to wool
promotion.
Wool in Australia 1938 - 1988
In the 50 years leading up to our Bicentenary,
many developments in the sheep and wool industry have
maintained Australia's place as the leading producer of
wool.
The Australian Wool Corporation, established in
1973, assumed the functions and responsibilities of the
former Australian Wool Board and the Australian Wool
Commission (formed in 1970 to operate a flexible reserve
price scheme at wool auctions).
To protect woolgrowers, the Australian Wool
Corporation introduced the minimum reserve price scheme
in 1974. The scheme guarantees minimum prices throughout
each wool selling season. This is financed by a Market
Support Fund funded by woolgrowers.
The Corporation encourages woolgrowers to adopt the
highest standards in all aspects of wool production,
preparation and handling. Cleaner, well-presented wool
will gain a higher price at auction.
Promotion of wool in Australia is also the
responsibility of the Corporation, and principal
activities include advertising and promotion programmes
for both apparel and interior textiles.
In 1988, an international promotion event was
held in Australia to demonstrate how the world's leading
fashion designers use wool. This major event focused on
the important export-earning capacity.
WOOL IN SOUTH AFRICA
Over the course of some 200 years the Merino
sheep has formed the very backbone of South Africa's
agricultural industry.
Fat-tailed sheep were first introduced into
South Africa by European settlers who obtained initial
breeding stock from the Hottentots through a bartering
arrangement. In following year they imported more sheep
from Holland and Bengal.
In the early 1700s the Governor of South Africa
tried to create interest with the South African farmers
in the production of fine wool.
Merino sheep were gradually introduced into South Africa
in the early 1700's but no real progress was made in
their establishment until 1785 when Colonel Gordon
imported Merinos from Spain of the Escurial stock. These
appear to have been bred with native sheep.
On his death a dispute arose between his widow
and the Dutch government over ownership of the flock
which led to it being sold to Captain Waterhouse who took
them to Australia. Captain Waterhouse and Captain Kent
had been sent to South Africa from Australia by John
Macarthur with instructions to buy any fine woolled sheep
available. They purchased 26 sheep with Macarthur
receiving three rams and five ewes.
In 1789 the King of Spain sent the Dutch
government two Merino rams and four ewes as a gift, but
the sheep were sent to the Cape as it was thought the
climate would be more suitable for them.
In 1818 the first pure-bred Merino breeding stud
was established by Lord Charles Somerset at the
government farm at Marmesbury. The aim was to help
distribute rams among the farming community.
Cape wool was first exported in 1980 but it was
not until the middle of the century, after many
experiments with different strains including the Spanish
Merino, the Saxon, the Rambouillet, plus some of the
English breeds that the definite South African type of
Merino was established
By 1830 the farming of the Merino sheep was well
established in the Western and Southwestern parts of the
Cape, while the next move for expansion and growth was to
go eastward. With the 1820 settlers playing a big part in
this.
In 1834 the Great Trek started and the great flocks of
sheep headed eastwards. Within only a few years the
Merino sheep covered the country.
By 1940 wool had become South Africa's most important
export.
By 1846 there were over 3 million sheep in South Africa,
of which half were Merinos, while other types such as the
Saxony, the Rambouillet and the Vermont were not
considered suitable for the South African conditions.
By 1900, with the Australian merino sheep being
considered the most suitable type for the climate, South
Africa was importing them at a constant pace, before the
1929 Commonwealth Government embargo on the export of
Merinos.
About half of the total sheep population in South Africa
lives in the semi-arid area which covers 85% of the
country.
Today the South African is one of the major wool
producing countries of the world producing high quality,
apparel wools which are exported around the world.
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