Australian
Southdowns

Southdown Sheep in Australia

Southdowns in Australia are still being used for mating with crossbred ewes, mainly in the coastal areas of Victoria, to produce those nice sappy lambs for the summer markets.

Over a period of years the Southdown breed has developed into a sheep of enormous size. The 15 month old rams that used to weigh 140lbs now weigh in excess of 230lbs and carry much less fat and much more muscling than they did 35 years ago. The big mature rams weigh in the range of 130kgs to 150kgs.

It has been amazing to see what has been done with selective breeding. Even though the size has increased, there are very few lambing problems as we have bred them with nice sloping shoulders.

Southdowns are still very well represented at the Royal Melbourne Show, the Australian Sheep and Wool Show and most of the leading shows throughout Victoria.

The Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association presently has 45 registered studs, the oldest one having been established in 1870 and several in the early to mid 1900's. It is encouraging to note that we have six junior Southdown breeders, the youngest being only 11 years of age.

The majority of our Southdown studs being located in Victoria (24) and Tasmania (10).

From the Australian Stud Sheep Breeders Association

The following is from The Muster of Australian Breeders of Stud Sheep, No 61, August 2004 by kind permission of The Muster, Australia.

SOUTHDOWNS

PROFILE - DICK HUGHES

Cluden Newry Southdown Stud Flock 240
It all started because of an accident I had in 1931 at Longford Show. I was put in hospital with a broken arm. My uncle, W.S. Hogarth, came to see me; he enquired how I was. I said I was not going to show my pony again! He then said I had better take up sheep showing and gave me three of the Kirkdale stud ewes and then, with my father's help, bought 9 more ewes from Mr D. Orneara.

In 1932 he mated the three; he gave me a ram he had imported from England, called Whitewool, and lent me a ram for the other nine ewes. My Uncle lent me rams for the next three years and in 1936 advised me to buy a ram, Retkia 43 of 1934, a fine ram of English bloodlines. He was a pet lamb and not very big but bred very well. At the 1937 Launceston Show I entered one yearling ram and a ewe and won both classes against the old established breeders. The next few years I joined 22 Lighthorse Regiment and then the Armoured Division and was sent to W.A, and came back home in 1944. During my time in the army my uncle and my father went to New Zealand in 1940 and bought a ram, Punchbowl T169 of 1939. He was a great success and put a lot of length in his lambs. T 169 and some Kirkdale rams were used to mate the ewes in the early Forties. 1 bought Fernhill 99 of 1945 from Bert Dchnert and he lent me Kohatu 347 of 1945.

After returning from Western Australia in 1944 I married Naneye Corney and together we really got the stud going with success at shows and with sales. During the 1950s to mid Sixties we won many prizes at the Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth Royal Shows and sold big numbers of stud rams.

Cluden Newry stud was the first Eastern state stud to fly rams to Perth Royal Show. I have judged sheep in all states.

In 1967 I bought a property in the South-West of WA. With this and other off-property interests (the board of a flour mill, and Trustee Company, and Hospital, plus. President of the Royal Launceston Show, and having an Angus stud and Poll Dorset stud) I suppose I took my eye off the ball a bit as far as showing went.

In 1984 I retired from farming and one of my sons, Peter, has concentrated on the Angus and Poll Dorsets. The Southdowns were dispersed in 1984.

HERITAGE SHEEP AUSTRALIA

Heritage Sheep Australia held its first ever showing as group at last months Red Hill show that was celebrating 75 years at the picturesque showgrounds that overlook the beautiful Mornington Peninsular south of Melbourne.
Four of the nine Heritage breeds, Southdown, English Leicester, Dorset Down and Shropshire were joined by some Suffolks to be judged by John Beard, Koroit and Ian Bucknall, Maryborough.
Both judges praised the high standard of the sheep and commented that the future of the breeds was in good hands if the show was an indication. Heritage Sheep was set up to preserve the importance of the unique generic qualities of old breeds of sheep that have been at the forefront of developing the Australian sheep industry for wool and prime lamb production. Some of the breeds in the group are classed as rare and others are attracting new enthusiastic breeders.
Breeds not on show at Red Hill were Ryeland, Lincoln, Cheviot and Dorset Horn.
The secretary of the group, Jacqueline Carr, said the enthusiasm of the group had grown since its formation during the 2001 Royal Melbourne Show.
Mrs. Carr said the group would endeavour to keep all the breeds ticking over by attracting new breeders. "At the moment we need some new breeders of Ryelands that are ideal for a self replacing prime lamb production lunit."
She said sourcing of sheep could be arranged and assistance with breeding would be freely available.
She said the Ryeland is a white-faced Downs breed which evolved in the Rye district of Herefordshire and dates back to the 11th century. Purebred stock were introduced into Australia in 1919. Ryelands are used as terminal sires for early maturing lambs and are noted for easy lambing. The wool is fine Downs type; short, dense and around 23 to 25 micron.
Further details on Heritage Sheep, Australia, Tel/Fax: (03) 9428 4384.

David Everist

HERITAGE SHEEP AT THE SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

The Southdown was the Feature Breed at the 2003 Sydney Royal Easter Show. Two studs from Victoria exhibited from the family Reynolds studs. "Highbank" (Flock 2345) and "Ivydowns" (Flock 2369), both from Meeniyan in Gippsland. Congratulations for keeping the flag flying!
Dorset Horn represented three breeders: K.C. Williams, "Ashburnia" Stud, Four Mile Creek via Orange; P. Belford, "Symbah" Stud, Crookwell, NSW; and Gilmore & Sons, "Tattykeel" STud from Oberon, NSW.
English Leicesters were exhibited by P. & E. Stephenson, "Ostlers Hill" (Flock 352), Goorambat, Victoria

.

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW 2003

FEATURE BREED SOUTHDOWNS
Grand Champion Ram: M & H. Reynolds, Highbank Stud, Meeniyan, Vic.
Reserve Champion Ram: D & N. Reynolds, Ivydowns Stud, Meeniyan, Vic.
Grand Champion Ewe: D & N Reynolds, Ivydowns Stud, Meeniyan, Vic.
Reserve Champion Ewe: D & N Reynolds, Ivydowns Stud, Meeniyan, Vic
Most Successful Exhibitor: D & N Reynolds, Ivydowns Stud, Meeniyan, Vic.
The Sydney Royal Southdown display was "a credit to the breeders", in the words of South Australian judge, Anthony Ferguson.
That's not the sweeping gesture to the Southdown industry that it might seem, because, in this case, the breeders were Dave and Neroli Reynolds' Ivydowns Stud, pitched against their children, Mark and Heidi's Highbank Stud, run on the same Wilson's Promontory property. The two studs might share land and blood ties, but Dave Reynolds said competition was fierce.
The Highbank Champion Ram won the same award at the Melbourne Royal in 2002.
Ivydowns exhibited the Grand Champion Ewe, a veteran winner from Melbourne in 2001 and Canberra in 2002.

AUSTRALIAN SHEEP & WOOL SHOW BENDIGO, VICTORIA 18th-21st JULY, 2003 AUSTRALIAN FLEECE COMPETITION COMPETITION OBJECTIVES To conduct a commercial fleece competition utilising current technology to assist both the objective and subjective measurement criteria. To conduct a fleece competition which provides educational outcomes to competitors, wool- growers and the industry at large. To conduct a fleece competition encompassing all main wool types. ALL FLEECES WILL BE WEIGHED AND SAMPLED FOR OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENT INCLUDING ADDITIONAL MEASUREMENT UNDER STANDARD PROCEDURES OF THE AWTA WHICH ARE BASED ON IWTO REGULATIONS TOTAL PRIZE VALUE OVER $8500 - 35 PRIZES MAJOR PRIZE FOR CHAMPION FLEECE TRAVEL VOUCHER TO THE VALUE OF $1500 COMPLIMENTS OF WESFARMERS LANDMARK & CGU INSURANCE Champion fleeces will be displayed at the Victorian Wool Centre and Brooklyn Woolstore - Melbourne. Entry fee: (Entry fee includes GST and transit insurance) CHARITY - No entry fee - Legacy ASBA Members - $7.50 Non Members - $13.00 New commercial scoring system Transportation of all fleeces to and from show has kindly been sponsored by McColls Transport Pty Ltd. at no cost to exhibitor from capital cities in Australia. CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRY FORMS IS MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2003 FLEECE DELIVERY - NO LATER THAN MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2003 FURTHER DETAILS Further details can be obtained from the Australian Sheepbreeders Association, Wesfarmers Landmark Wool Staff (in each state) or from the following websites: www.wesfarmerslandmark.com.au or www.sheepshow.com

This document maintained by rutinum@aol.com.
Material Copyright © 2002 The Southdown Sheep Society