Peppin Merino facts for kids
The Peppin Merino is a special type of Merino sheep raised mainly in Australia. These sheep are very important for their wool. In fact, many wool farmers in Australia simply call their sheep "Peppin" or "non-Peppin" because this breed is so well-known.
The wool from a Peppin Merino sheep is usually between 20 to 23 microns thick. A micron is a tiny unit of measurement that tells you how fine the wool is. Peppin Merino sheep are found in many parts of Australia, including Queensland, the plains of New South Wales, northern Victoria, and the farming areas of South Australia and Western Australia. You can also find them in places with more rainfall, like Tasmania.
Contents
The Story of the Peppin Merino
How the Peppin Merino Breed Began
In March 1858, the Peppin brothers, George and Frederick, moved from England to Australia. They bought a large farm called Wanganella Station near the town of Wanganella in the Riverina area of New South Wales.
The brothers wanted to create a strong sheep breed that could do well in Australia's climate. They picked 200 local ewes (female sheep) that were already thriving on their land. They also bought 100 special ewes that had a father from a breed called Rambouillet.
Developing the Breed's Qualities
The Peppin brothers mostly used rams (male sheep) from the Saxon and Rambouillet breeds. In 1860, they brought in four rams from overseas. One of these rams, named Emperor, produced a huge amount of wool, weighing about 11.4 kilograms! They also bought two sons of a famous ram called Old Grimes. After that, they only bred sheep from their own growing flock.
In 1871, Fred Peppin explained their goal. He said they wanted to grow the type of wool that suited the land and climate, instead of trying to force the sheep to produce wool that didn't fit the environment. This helped them develop the natural good qualities of the sheep.
Careful Breeding and Success
In 1874, George and Frederick Peppin started a very careful breeding program. They kept detailed records of how much wool each sheep produced. This careful planning helped them improve their flock.
Their hard work paid off! At a sheep show in Deniliquin in July 1878, Peppin & Sons won many top awards for their sheep. The next year, their Wanganella sheep won first prize for having the most valuable wool fleeces at the Sydney International Exhibition.
Changes in Ownership
George Peppin passed away in 1876. In October 1878, Frederick Peppin sold Wanganella Station and other properties. He sold them, along with over 28,000 sheep, to Austin & Millear. Another part of the property, North Boonoke station, was sold to F. S. Falkiner and his partners.
Falkiner later bought out his partners in 1882. He continued to develop the sheep stud using the original Peppin sheep. By the time Franc Falkiner died in 1909, he owned a huge amount of land and had a quarter of a million sheep descended from the Boonoke bloodline.
In 1895, Austin and Millear divided their partnership. Austin kept Wanganella, and Millear took the eastern part, which was renamed Wanganella Estate. In 1910, Falkiner's sons bought Wanganella Estate and its sheep. Finally, in 1958, the original Peppin property was brought back together when F S Falkiner & Sons bought Wanganella from Austin.
Today, the two main sheep studs (Wanganella and Boonoke) that started when Frederick Peppin sold his farm are still going strong. A new stud, Boonoke Poll, was also started in 1934.
