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Some sheep, as with other cattle and food, utility or sports animals came to Australia with the early fleets: however, the original sheep imports were of low quality and used mainly for meat; the early settlers didn't quite trust, at the start, the notion of eating what were apparently enormous leaping rats. Later, they came to terms with kangaroo tail soup.

The Australian wool and meat industry truly began when Sir Joseph Banks managed to buy merinos from Spain and Portugal in the eighteenth century.

Merinos were later crossed with other European sheep for their wool and meat qualities and imported into Australia, which profited greatly from these new breeds, with their fine wool and superior meat.

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What year did sheep come to Australia?

The very first sheep in Australia came with the First Fleet in 1788. However, it is not from these sheep that Australia's huge sheep industry has grown.The Father of Australia's sheep industry is often regarded as John Macarthur. He was a man with a great deal of influence in colonial Australia, and it was he who arranged for the first Merino sheep to be brought to Australia from Spain. The first Spanish Merino sheep were brought to Australia in 1796.


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How many sheep were there on the First Fleet?

According to the website First Fleet Fellowship, there were 44 sheep on board the First Fleet.


Australias involvement in World War 1?

australians involvment in ww1


Who introduced merino sheep to Australia and when?

The Father of Australia's sheep industry is often regarded as John Macarthur. He was a man with a great deal of influence in colonial Australia, and it was he who arranged for the first Merino sheep to be brought to Australia from Spain. The first Spanish Merino sheep were brought to Australia in 1796. This type of Merino was a tough sheep which could handle Australia's extreme conditions. There had been little initial success with grain growing - a situation that was rectified as the colony grew - but sheep were an excellent mainstay, easy to maintain and profitable for both domestic and overseas markets.The first sheep came with the First Fleet in 1788, but these were not merinos.See the related link about the role of John Macarthur in the establishment of the Merino sheep in Australia.