Made by Hall & Co Photos in Sydney, Australia, 1918-1920

Wanganella station was located in the Riverina area of New South Wales. Wanganella was one of the most influential sheep stations responsible for the evolution of the merino sheep in Australia. Established by James Hindmarsh in 1847, of 100,000 acres on the Billabong creek, by 1850 it became known as Wanganella.

The station changed hands several times until in 1858 George Hall Peppin and Sons purchased it. The Peppins experimented unsuccessfully with different breeding lines on the property and in 1861 they became disheartened with sheep breeding and put the station up for sale. After no buyers were found they changed their minds, took it off the market, and with the help of the famous wool classer Thomas Shaw, set about evolving a merino stud. They decided to let the environment have a major say in sheep type and to breed sheep to suit the country. This was a major turning point in the history of the Australian merino.

The Peppin Merino has a large frame and long legs, which make it perfectly adapted to dry inland regions of Australia. The Peppin merino is particularly successful in the sheep flocks of Queensland, on the slopes and plains of New South Wales, through the north of Victoria, and the mixed farming areas of South Australia and Western Australia. It can also be found in significant numbers in the higher rainfall areas of Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales. Its heavy fleece falls in the mid-range of Merino wool qualities, with a high wool grease content, which protects the wool from the environment and gives it a creamy colour

The merino sheep introduced into Australia, soon after European settlement, were only able to produce one to two kilograms of wool each year. A Peppin Merino stud ram of today may produce up to 20 kilograms of wool.Wanganella was one of the most prolific merino breeding properties in the 1800s and today over 70% of merinos in Australia are descended from their breeding stock.

Reference:
Charles Massy. 'The Australian Merino', Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Victoria, 1990.
www.woolinnovation.com.au

Photographs (2), in one mount, 'Stud Sires', paper, Hall & Co, Deniliquin, NSW, Australia, 1918-20.
Two sepia photographs mounted together on brown board; each depicts a perfect row of stud merino rams bred by Austin Wanganella Co Ltd, Wanganella Station, Deniliquin, NSW. Top photo: 7 rams 1918, bottom photo: 8 rams 1920.

Made: Hall & Co; Sydney; 1918 - 1920

: Hall & Co; Australia

96/181/39

1918 - 1920

650 mm

690 mm