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Story: Australians

Merino sheep

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Merino sheep

When Australian sheep farmers crossed the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, they brought livestock with them. In particular, they brought the Spanish merino breed which was well established in Australia by the 1840s. New Zealand sheep farmers continued to import Australian stud merino for many years.

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Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: PAColl-7581-64

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Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

John Wilson, Australians – Sheep farmers, gold miners, soldiers, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/607/merino-sheep (accessed 20 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 July 2024.