Agriculture Alpaca Timeline

By Piersonr01

  • The First shipment of four Alpacas to Port Lincoln in South Australia

    The very first arrival of alpacas in Australia depends on what you read

  • Charles Ledger along with some South American shepherds and approximately 260 alpacas arrived in Sydney by ship

  • Many of Ledge's Flock died in the drought in the 1860s

    Small number of alpacas were spread across Australia but there numbers declined until there were none left by the end of the 19th century

  • After 1862 export bans were lifted and alpacas were allowed to be imported to Australia

    500 alpacas came to Melbourne and another 300 came to Tasmania

  • 1980s Beginning of the Modern Australian Alpaca industry

    More alpacas were imported into Australia

  • The Australian Alpaca Association was formed in 1990

    To promote the alpaca industry as viable and sustainable.

  • In 1993 research and development began in the alpaca industry

  • Australian Alpaca Industry celebrates 25 years

  • Today there are over 200,00 registered alpacas and over 2,300 breeders