Story: Sheep farming

Samuel Marsden's jug

Samuel Marsden's jug

Missionary Samuel Marsden arrived in Sydney in 1794 and set out to produce mutton and wool to help feed and clothe the convict settlement. Initially he bred Spanish merino, Southdown and Teeswater sheep. In 1811 he made the first commercial shipment of wool from Australia. By the 1820s Marsden won prizes for his merino wool – he was awarded this silver jug by the Agricultural Society of New South Wales in 1825.

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State Library of New South Wales, Dixson Library
Reference: a1177009

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How to cite this page:

Hugh Stringleman and Robert Peden, 'Sheep farming - The Merino – the earliest breed', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/object/16629/samuel-marsdens-jug (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Hugh Stringleman and Robert Peden, published 24 Nov 2008, updated 1 Mar 2015