The wool collection held by the Powerhouse Museum contains thousands of wool samples collected between 1804 and 2003. These samples provide a record of wool growing in Australia. The different fleeces reflect the breeding programs and environmental conditions under which the fleeces were grown and, as such, they provide a valuable history of the areas of Australia in which sheep were grazed.

Sheep were introduced into Australia in 1788 from Cape Town in South Africa. Since then sheep from other countries, including the Spanish Merino were imported into Australia and selectively crossbred. Careful crossbreeding, paying particular attention to the impact of the environment on both animal and fleece, led to the evolution of the Australian Merino. It is an excellent example of the engineering, through selective breeding, of a domestic animal. Wool went on to become the mainstay of the Australian Economy from 1807 to 1960.

This particular specimen of wool is from Bellevue station in Tasmania. Bellevue was a hugely influential Tasmanian sheep stud founded by James Gibson in 1863. Gibson formed his flock from a selection of ewes from Winton station which he then bred to three rams from Beaufront station, one of whom, King Billy, was considered outstanding. King Billy produced one of Australia's greatest merino sires named Sir Thomas. This ram influenced significant studs from all over Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria.

Erika Dicker
Assistant Curator
September 2007

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

This wool specimen was bred in 1904 by James Gibson in Bellevue, Tasmania, Australia.

Sire, 'Jubilee' by 'President'. Dam, Bellevue stud ewe. Champion fine wool, Sydney, 1903 and 1904. Champion midland show Tasmania. Champion fine wool Commonwealth Sheep Growers Assn, Sydney 1904, also 1st Mr Dangar's prize for no Vermont blood and Reserve champion.

Originally donated by Augustus Lucian Faithful, Springfield, Goulburn, New South Wales, 1904

This wool specimen is part of the Bill Montgomery Wool Collection which consists of approximately 7000 samples. In the older part of the collection there are 5000 samples from Australian sheep fleeces grown between 1856 and 1906. The samples were collected by the Museum at a time when scientific research was prominent in the Museum's activities. In 1979, when the Museum's focus changed, most of its wool collection was transferred to the teaching collection of Mr Bill Montgomery, a wool classing teacher at Newcastle Technical College. When Bill retired from the College, the collection was again in danger of being thrown away. He took the entire collection home and stored it in his garage for 15 years. His Collection also contains approximately 1500 wool samples grown between 1950 and 2000 and collected by Bill himself. It includes 147 examples of faults and stains occurring in Australian flocks, 20 pigmented wools and 33 rare and extinct breeds from around the world. The Museum purchased the entire collection in 2003. Bill Montgomery died on 7th July, 2007.

Wool specimen, grand champion stud ram 'Jubilee II', bred by James Gibson, Bellevue, Tasmania, Australia, 1904.

Wool specimen from the side of five year old grand champion stud ram, 'Jubilee II'. There is a blue ribbon around the middle of the specimen and a small oval tag attached to the ribbon.

This sample of wool was tested in June 2007 by the Interactive Wool Group. They used the OFDA2000 instrument for fleece testing. The following are the results for this specimen:

Microns: 26.1 microns (5.1 Standard Deviation)
(average fibre diameter)

Staple length: 75 mm

Mean fibre curvature: 88.7 Dg/mm
(A measurement in degrees
per mm related to
crimp frequency)

Comfort Factor: 82.9 %
(The % of fibres equal
to or less than 30 microns)

Made: Gibson, James; Bellevue, Tasmania; 1904

Handwritten text on tag reads 'F7672 / Jubilee II / by Jubilee' and on reverse 'No 29/ A L Faithful / Goulburn'.

F7672

1904

80 mm

30 mm