94 ^'J^W SOUTH WALES. 



The sources from wliicli the stud slieep have been drawn from the 

 time the fine wool industry was initiated by Captain Macarthur — and 

 that was ahnost from the foundation of the Colony — may in a general 

 way be stated as follows : — 



Tlie Sources from ichich our Merino Studs liave heen Dravn. 



The Camden FlocTc. — The first pure-bred merino sheep introduced 

 into this Colony were the small lot of Spanish merinos brought from 

 the Cape of Good Hope — but originally from the Escurial or Royal flock 

 in Spain — by Captains Waterhouse and Kent in 1797;, at the instance 

 of Captain ]\Iacarthur, who asked them, when they were leaving Sydney 

 for the Cape, to procure provisions for the Colony, to obtain, if they 

 could, some wool-bearing sheep. Then we had the importations from 

 the Royal Spanish merinos kept at Kew, in England, usually termed 

 the "George III flock," by Captain Macarthur, in 1804. From that 

 date till 1823, there is no definite information on the subject; but we 

 can gather from the history of some of the leading flocks that, although 

 most of those who formed pure flocks at that time purchased sheep 

 from Captain Macarthur, several breeders imported high-class rams 

 from Germany, and some of them introduced German ewes as well as 

 rams ; while several merinos from the Royal flock at Kew, and a few 

 of the Rambouillet blood from France, were also imported. 



The Mudgee and Merrnca Flocls. — From 1823 to 1833, although 

 Captain Macarthur's Camden flock still held the premier position in the 

 estimation of the majority of sheep breeders, the flocks of the Hon. 

 George H. Cox's grandfather, Mr. William Cox — who had purchased 

 some of the pure Spanish sheep and their progeny from Captain 

 Waterhouse — and that of Mr. Riley, of Rabey, which was founded on 

 high-class imported German slieep, came into very general favour, and 

 several of the other Mudgee pure flocks also began to be appreciated, 

 and sheep from them to be in general request. It was during this 

 period also that the now famous Collaroy flock was founded by Messrs. 

 Jones and Davidson by the importation of Saxon rams and ewes, to 

 which some ewes from the Camden flock were added. During the 

 seventeen years from 1833 to 18-50, while the Camden flock had, mainly 

 through the deterioration of the pasture, brought about by the com- 

 paratively small area of the country on which the sheep were kept, 

 and its continuous stocking, lost ground, the Mudgee and Merriwa 

 flocks, favoured as they were with a better climate, especially for wool- 

 growing, more extensive pastures, and in the hands of equally able and 

 experienced breeders, gained in position and favour, and the majority 

 of our sheep-breeders then began to get their stud sheep from the flocks 

 in these districts. During that interval there were sevei-al German and 

 Rambouillet sheep introduced. 



Mudgee, Merriwa, Riverina, Victorian, and Smith Australian Floclcs. 

 ■ — From 1850 to 1870 there were only a few importations of German 

 sheep, and fewer still of French ; and it may be said as regards the 

 central, the northern, the north-eastern, and the eastern portions of 

 the Colony, almost all the breeders went to Mudgee or Merriwa for 

 their stud sheep. They did bo also to a considerable extent in River- 

 ina ; but duriucr that time there were several local flocks in that 



