The Corriedale breed has a proud history since it was evolved in Australia and New Zealand during 1874 by the selective mating of Lincolns and Merinos.
This year the RAS has accorded the breed feature status during the 2016 Royal Show.
During the latter years of the 19th century, the breed was purposely developed to meet a demand for a dual purpose animal with good meat characteristics and wool production.
Today, with over 125 years of line breeding behind it, the Corriedale is sufficiently fixed to exhibit hybrid vigour when it is crossed with any other recognised pure breed.
Taken from the Pastoral Review, 15 July 1916 …
“There was great competition in the Corriedale classes and considerable interest was taken in the breed.
Flocks are growing in number, and judging by this show, improving in quality.
Judged by J.A. Sloane, Mulwala, NSW, the Champion ram was shown by Donald McFarlane, Eurella, Rylstone NSW and the Champion ewe was shown by Thomas Bowling, Arrawatta, Glen Innes, NSW.”
During this year’s Sydney Royal Show, the NSW Corriedale Association and the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW (RAS) celebrate a century of partnership in competitive showing.
To mark the occasion the RAS has invited the NSW Corriedales to be the feature breed and have supplied a site to showcase the history and also the breeds products .
The intention is to build on last years’ exhibition, which focused on the role Corriedale type wool played in the First World War and how the production of strong wool had exploded in both Australia and New Zealand in the early 1900s.
This expansion in production coincided with the Australian Government’s decision to facilitate the processing of wool in Australia.
Wool had been traditional exported in raw state since colonial times, and whilst there was some scouring done in Australia, 98 per cent of the wool was fully processed overseas.
By 1916 all that had changed.
With the need to focus on supply during the First World War, the Central Wool Committee was put in charge of buying and marketing the wool and this continued until 1919-1920.
During the war the price of strong wool increased dramatically as did the percentage of strong wool sheep in the Australian Flock.
This resulted in the rise of the Corriedales as a true dual-purpose breed which could produce a strong fleece, as well as a suitable carcase.
In 1914, Senator J.F. Guthrie of Bulgandra stud, Rand, and Tom Bowling of Glen Innes, decided it was time to have competitive showing at the Sheep Show held at the RAS Showground in Moore Park.
Accordingly, the RAS moved to accommodate the new breed which had 44 entries for the 1916 show, clearly representing the wide interest of the new breed.
A place in the cattle pavilion next to the Angora Goats was appropriated for the show.
It will be different in 2016 when the breed is able to be housed in a wonderful site in the Sheep Pavilion.
From 1916 to the 1960’s the sheep industry, particularly with demand for stronger wools due to the Second World War and the Korean War, boomed.
With access to international markets, meat became more important, and this saw the true-dual purpose breed, grow from its infancy in 1900 to becoming the second largest breed in the world in 1960.
This international rise coincided with a massive increase in Australia in both flock and stud Corriedales, and a great many of those studs exhibited in Sydney and sold rams during the annual Sheep Show.
Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, the RAS, the NSW Sheepbreeders, and the Corriedale Association worked together to exhibit, to sell, and to promote the sheep.
Since 1822 the Royal Agricultural Society has promoted excellence in all agricultural production, and they have been joined by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) in promoting agriculture to a suburban population.
In this centenary celebration, the Corriedale’s will have over 100 entries at the Royal Easter Show.
And with the help of the AWI, the Corriedale Association will be acknowledging the centenary during the judging and afterwards at a celebration dinner.
While we consider the place of the breed in a stud context in this centenary year, it is the commercial sheep producers who are really the backbone of the breed in supporting the dual-purpose characteristics which appeal to many for their sustainability in an increasing globalized world.
Brian Taylor, from Crookwell is one such commercial operator who has stuck with Corriedales since he entered the industry 32 years ago.
“I bought a property in the Crookwell district and needed an easy care, low maintenance, self replacing breed of sheep,” Mr Taylor said.
“After considering many options, the Corriedale was eventually chosen, mainly because they were a popular breed on the southern tablelands.”.
Mr Taylor selected his first ewes from the Prell family, Gundowringa stud at Crookwell.
“They were a traditional Corriedale with plenty of wool on the head and legs with a moderate frame,” he said.
“The next step was to clean up the heads and increase frame size which was achieved by introducing Redbank rams from Molong.”
The carcase size of his lambs increased, but Mr Taylor went through a steep learning curve when he began to sell wholesale through a butcher in Mittagong.
”Seeing the carcases hanging up every week was a real education in identifying what the trade wanted”, he noted..
“The Corriedale lambs had beautiful texture, colour & smell.
“Smell is so overlooked by the industry, however, consumers not only eat by the eye but by the smell of what they are eating.
“Corriedales are moving with the lamb industry.”
