Merino Milestone - ABC's Landline On The History Of The Peppin Merino

A wool cloth merchant in Sydney kindly forwarded on to me this unique article on Wanganella merino stud in the Riverina country of south western New South Wales. If you ever wanted to be taken on an historical journey through the development of the Peppin merino flock, and explained the reason why we enjoy finer wool today - look no further than this piece by Landline which goes to Wanganella farm and stud on it's historic 150th anniversary. 

The property remains in tact today in part due to the efforts of Rupert Murdoch whose News Corporation (which owned the property between 1978 and 2000) ensured that any subsequent purchasers would not break up the property and would keep it's heritage in tact. It is now thriving once again due in part to the wetter weather that has been prevalent over the past three years and in part to much of the work of wool marketers who have spent a great deal of money through the Wool Innovation in promoting Australian wool in China and Europe.

A link to that article, which features a video, is listed below.

http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2010/s3340888.htm

Here is the beginning of the transcript offered:
ANNE KRUGER, PRESENTER: Staying with wool.

One of Australia's most famous sheep studs, Wanganella, in the Riverina region of southern New South Wales, has just celebrated its 150th birthday.

The story of how the Peppin family developed a merino that could thrive in the harsh, dry inland is an epic. Indeed, until recent years more than 80 per cent of Australia's merino flock could trace its origins to Wanganella.

TIM LEE, REPORTER: It's the annual on-property ram sale at Boonoke Station in the southern Riverina. Boonoke Stud is one of the most famous in Australia but the buyers have driven in or flown in from all over the country. 

CHRIS BOWMAN, SHEEP CLASSER: The quality of the sheep here today is, you know, quite outstanding. Very good quality wool, soft, tests very well, the microns are probably ranging between sort of 17 and 22. 

A vintage photo of wool graders and shearers at work, found at Falkner and Sons website

A bronze statue in tribute to the Peppin Merino, developed by the Peppin family on Wanganella Station in the Riverina country of south western New South Wales, Australia.