If John and Elizabeth Macarthur, both long ago dead, magically reappeared on Earth, they would be delighted to see their former Elizabeth Farm residence in Camden, south-west Sydney, lovingly preserved.
They would also be delighted to discover that the wool industry that played a key role in its foundation continues to thrive.
And they would probably tickle pink to see a too-known type of merino grazing in nearby paddocks.
The sheep is officially known as Camden, which is named after its place of Australian origin.
While it has often been said that Australia’s economy went after sheep for much of its history, some have forgotten that the journey began with Camden’s slender legs and slender frame. .
A RAM from Camden Merino, a descendant of sheep imported by John and Elizabeth Macarthur. (Supplied)
Australian history of the merino sheep
These flying, hardy, short-wool sheep bear little resemblance to the modern Australian Merino.
It has been bred so selectively and intensively for over two centuries that the Macarthurs could even struggle to recognize it as a sheep.
Surprisingly, the Camden has survived to the present day, largely unchanged, as a living colonial relic.
This has been the result of some devout custodians, such as the Collins family at Mt Bute, west of Victoria.
“We just keep them here as an inheritance,” said wool producer James Collins.
James Collins ’grandfather (pictured), Jim, bought a herd of Camdens in 1967 that were destined for meat. (Fixed line: Tim Lee)
The family has been producing some of the best merino wool in the country for generations.
He has also played a vital role in saving Camden from extinction.
Saving a legacy
When the last remaining Camdens herd was auctioned off and almost sent to the butchers, the late Jim Collins and his woolly companion Mac Troup realized its historical importance and each bought half the sheep.
“These are basically the basis of our Merino industry. This is very similar in genetics to what Captain Macarthur would have taken from the ship in 1797,” said James Collins, Jim’s grandson.
The family has never introduced external genetics or tried in any way to improve the quality of the sheep.
Instead, he has carefully managed to keep the herd in a state of ecstasy, to keep it faithful to its ancestors.
The modern Camden (front) is next to a merino. (Fixed line: Tim Lee)
The contrast between current commercial Camdens and Merinos is obvious.
The Camden, weighing about 35 pounds, weighs about half its weight and half its height.
Camden’s fleece weighs less than two pounds. Modern merino produces three to five times that amount.
“There’s not much commercial value, but the historical value of these, you really can’t put a price on it,” Collins said.
The Macarthurs imported a better variety of Merinos in 1804.
As the colony began to prosper, so did the Merino and its valuable fine fleece.
By the 1870s, sheep had spread across much of the continent and Australia had taken on the mantle of the world’s largest wool-producing nation.
A drawing of a Merino sheep in Australia, circa 1810. (Supplied)
By then, the Camden had been transformed and adapted by genetic selection into a larger frame sheep that grew longer wool and was robust enough to withstand the arid interior of Australia.
Wool accounted for half of the country’s exports by the 1960s, and Australia still produces 80% of the world’s fine wool.
A wool economy
On a typical auction day in Melbourne or Sydney, more than $ 10 million in wool is sold. Much of this wool is sold under the hammer of Elders wool auctioneer Samantha Wan.
He first discovered wool in college and fell in love with fiber and industry.
“Wool is a fantastic fiber that has actually become my connection to Australia,” Ms Wan said.
Samantha Wan is one of the auctioneers at the Elders National Wool Sale Center. (Tim Lee)
“The fact that a natural fiber like this comes from an animal, the merino. It’s probably a unicorn from the fabric world.”
The Camden is almost as rare as the legendary unicorn, with only a few hundred stocks.
It is important to note that in the early 1990s, the Collins family sent a core herd back to Elizabeth Farm in Camden.
A newspaper article from that day described them as “hardy animals as wild as deer.”
A Camden Merino grows about 2 pounds of fleece, while a modern Merino grows five times as much. (Fixed line)
James Collins can attest to that. His Camden splashes thrive in the poorest pastures.
It is an attribute that has played a key role in the success of the Merino, which has shaped the Australian continent so deeply.
Tim Lee’s story, The Magic Merino, is part of the Things That Made Australia series to commemorate ABC’s 90th anniversary. It is screened on ABC TV landline at 12:30 pm on Sunday or on ABC iview.
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Posted 2 h 2 hours agoDiss. July 9, 2022 at 12:27 PM, updated 2 hours ago 2 hours agoDiss. July 9, 2022 at 12:33 p.m.