Nation-building Merino embedded in history
Since the first bale of Australian wool was exported to Britain 200 years ago, wool has been part of the nation’s life and culture
This year the Australian wool industry is celebrating 200 years of successful international wool trade: in 1807 the first bale of Australian wool was sent to Britain for commercial sale. The Australian wool industry has come a long way since then, and since 1788, when the first sheep arrived on the First Fleet.
From that humble beginning, Australia has become one of the world’s premier suppliers of fine apparel wool, generating close to half a billion kilograms of fleece wool each year.
Away from their native Spain, Merinos thrived in Australian conditions and the breed was soon noted for its adaptability, magnificent fleece and high-quality fibre.
As soon as 1830 the Australian sheep population had grown to two million. Britain’s demand for the world’s highest-quality natural fibre – Australian Merino wool – was met by ever-expanding flocks.
For the best part of 200 years, wool and the Merino have been deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of many Australians. Wool manifests itself prominently in Australian art, humour, language and literature.
From woolsheds and homesteads, sheepdogs and drovers, shearers and cockies to fashion and manufacturing – wool is an overt part of Australia’s cultural and commercial fabric.
The story of Australian wool is not limited to what happens on the farm and in the woolshed – it spans the world. Some of the most significant designers in history, through to today’s contemporary fashion houses, have held the spotlight on wool, draping consumers around the world in the softness and quality of Merino.
Like any industry, the Australian wool industry continues to modernise and adapt to the changing global market, implement safer and more efficient production practices, and create new technologies and innovative textiles that have resulted in even finer and softer woollen apparel.
Events to commemorate this historic milestone for the industry include:
- Fashion from Fleece: 200 Years of Australian Wool in Fashion exhibition – at the Powerhouse Museum from 25 July to 22 August, then travelling to London as did the first bale;
- an industry commemorative event at Parliament House in August;
- a rural and regional photographic competition supported by Rural Press (see page 14); and
- a commemorative book – the classic book The Australian Merino is being updated by noted author Charles Massy, and will be available later this year to AWI shareholders at cost price.
Image: Tyrrell photographic collection, Powerhouse museum
Return to Beyond the Bale Issue 29 index page.