INTRODUCTION OF SHEEP INTO NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 20 March 1924, Page 161

INTRODUCTION OF SHEEP INTO NEW ZEALAND.

RECORD OF FIRST ENTRY OF EACH BREED.

J. G. COOK,

Live-stock Division, Wellington.

It is generally admitted that insufficient attention has been given in the past to. the compiling of records .of different matters connected with the earlier history of British settlement in New Zealand. Among such matters may be included that of the introduction of live-stock. The information tabulated below represents an endeavour to supply the deficiency as regards the first 1 introduction of various sheep-breeds into this country. Although the compilation is the result of considerable research it is not as complete in detail as could be wished, and the writer will welcome any information enabling missing particulars to be filled in. Needless to say, it is highly desirable that complete and authentic records, covering this and related, matters in the agricultural history of the Dominion, should be held by the Department of Agriculture. ■ It may be mentioned that several of the breeds represented in the list have not been maintained in New Zealand since their introduction. So far as can be ascertained the following breeds have been dropped : Dartmoor, Roscommon, Scotch Blackface, Norfolk Down, Cotswold, Tunis, and Bharal. Several other breedsnamely, Dorset Hom, Hampshire Down, Oxford Down, South Devon, and Wensleydale —are present in very small numbers only.

* Only importation of this breed.

* Only importation of this breed,

■Breed. Date of Arrival. Animals. Introduced by Province. Breeder. Introduced from Merino i8th-22nd May, 1773 (ship “ Resolution ”) i ram, 1 ewe Capt. James Cook MarlboroughCape Colony. » 23rd Dec., 1814 23rd Dec., 1814 Rev. S. MarsAuckland .. Rev. S. MarsNew South (ship “Active”) Rev. S. Mars- . den Auckland .. Rev. S. Marsden New South Wales. 4th May, 1842 (ship “Jupiter”) Capt. W. King Taranaki .. New South Wales. Southdown 23rd Feb., 1842 (ship “ Timandra ”) 2 rams, 10 ewes Mr. Devenish Taranaki .. Mr. Briscoe.. Dorset. English Leicester 28th Sept., 1843 (ship “ Tyne ”) 1 ram A. Saunders Nelson J. Arnold .. Somerset. Cheviot 26th Jan., 1845 (ship “ Slains Castle”)1 ram, 1 ewe Mr. Mackay Nelson .. Romney Marsh 2nd Sept., 1853 (ship “ Corn4 rams, 16 ewes L. Young .. Wellington Jeremiah Solomon Northfleet, Kent. wall ”) 4 rams, 16 ewes L. Young .. Wellington Jeremiah Solomon Northfleet, Kent.

Breed. Date of Arrival. Animals. Introduced by Province. Breeder. Introduced from Border Leicester 1859 (ship “ Cheviot ”) i ram,. 9 ewes New Zealand and' Australian Land Company Otago 1 ram and 3 ewes, Mr. Melvin, Bennington ; 6 ewes from Duke of Buccleuch Dalkeith, Scotland. Lincoln i860.. Esson Bros. Wellington Lincolnshire. Cotswold Oct., 1863 (ship “ Gothenberg”) 4 rams Canterbury Hampshire Down Oct., 1863 (ship “ Gothenberg ”) 5 rams Canterbury Dartmoor* .. 5th June, 1864 5 rams, 6 ewes C. Reid Canterbury Devonshire. Shropshire Down 1867.. i ram, 3 ewes C. Williams.. Canterbury England. Norfolk Down .. 1868.. W. Wilson .’. Canterbury Alpaca* 9th Nov., 1872 1 ram, 1 ewe R. H. Rhodes Canterbury Wensleydale 4th April, 1894 1 ram, 2 ewes W. B. Clarkson Canterbury 1 ram, Mr. Hodgen; 2 ewes, W. ■ Trotter W. B. Clarkson Yorkshire. Canterbury 1 ram, Mr. Hodgen ; 2 ewes, W. Trotter Yorkshire. Dorset Horn .. 25th Oct., 1897 i ram, 2 ewes W. Ullyett .. Canterbury Kent .. 25th Oct., 1897 • 2 rams J. B. Logan Kent. Tunis* 24th Oct., 1900 2 rams, 6 ewes H. Harrowell Auckland .. Tunis. Ryeland 6th May, 1901 2 rams Dalgety and Co. Canterbury Herefordshire. 30th Dec., 1901 2 rams, 5 ewes W. P. Kellock Canterbury Herefordshire. Oxford Down .. July, 1904 1 ram, 5 ewes J. Withell .. Canterbury Ram, F. Bonner Barling ; ewes, C. Watkins Herefordshire. Roscommon* .. 1904.. 4 rams, 10 ewes J. Davies .. Wellington Various Ireland. South Devon .. 5th Dec., 1907 i ram, 16 ewes W. J. Birch.. Wellington W. Tippet and E. Stokes Devon-' shire. » 1907.. 1907-. r ram, 12 ewes i ram, 12 ewes ChambersBros. ChambersBros. Hawke’s Bay Hawke’s Bay Various Various Ditto. ■ Ditto. Bharal* 30th July, 1908 2 rams, 2 ewes N.Z. Tourist Department Finally liberated in Canterbury Mr. Jamrach Kuin Lun Mountains (Himalaya), Tibet.

Breed. Date of Arrival. Animals. Introduced by Province. Breeder. Introduced from Scotch Blackface* 19th Aug., 1908 2 rams, 4 ewes Mrs. Townsend Suffolk Down .. 23rd Dec., 1913 1 ram, 6 ewes 1 G. Gould Canterbury r ram and 2 England. ewes, S. R. She rwood ; 4 ewes, Chivers and Sons England. Dorset Down . . 7th Nov., 1921 2 rams, 5 ewes J. C. N. Grigg Canterbury T. R. Spiller Dorset.

FIRST INTRODUCTIONS OF SHEEP-BREEDS INTO NEW ZEALAND.