SYDNEY, NSW. — In the early years of settlement, the colony of New South Wales struggled to achieve self-sufficiency. The convicts were not skilled in farming, and unwilling to work hard in the intense heat and humidity of Australia.
British farming methods, seeds and implements were unsuitable for use in the different climate and soil, and the colony faced near-starvation in its first two years. An industry suited to Australia’s harsh conditions needed to be established.
John Macarthur arrived in New South Wales in 1790. In 1793, Macarthur was given a land grant of 100 acres, which he cleared and improved, assisted by convict labour.
After receiving another land grant, he and his wife Elizabeth worked hard to improve and develop the land, eventually planting 120 acres of wheat and numerous fruits and vegetables.
On Wednesday, October 4, 1797, the first flock of Spanish merino sheep arrived in Australia. They had been bought in South Africa by British officers Henry Waterhouse and William Kent, who then sold some of them to the Macarthurs.
The Spanish Merino was a hardy sheep which was tolerant of Australia’s extreme conditions. Unlike other settlers, Macarthur did not try to cross-breed the sheep with other breeds, which only resulted in sheep with coarse wool of a lower quality.
By 1803, the Macarthur flock numbered over 4000. The Macarthurs had improved the bloodline and strength of the flock by purchasing merinos from flocks in different regions, thus limiting interbreeding of similar bloodlines.
For this reason, John Macarthur is often regarded as the founder of the wool industry in Australia.
