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The First Fleet arrive in Australia
The British land in Botany Bay and begin to colonise, bringing with them the first fat-tailed sheep. The population was around 70. -
First Use of Sheep Wool
The first 13 Spanish Merinos arrive in 1797, brought from Africa. At some point, John Macarthur and Samuel Marsden acquire some of these and begin the process of selective breeding by crossing the Merinos with other breeds in order to find the one best suited to Australia's climate and topography. -
Governor King Sees Potential for Wool
Governor King recognises the possibilities and benefits of producing wool when he arrives in the colony in 1800. With the building of the first wool mill in Parramatta, his idea led to the establishment of a textile industry. -
First Auction of Australian Wool
In 1821, Garraway's Coffee House in London conducted the first auction of Australian wool, which was brought for $2.27 per kilogram. -
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Change in the value of Wool exportation
The value of wool exports climbed from 2 million pounds to 41 million pounds between 1830 and 1850. -
Australian Wool Buzzing
Sheep have spread into every colony within 50 years of settlement, the annual wool clip is over two million kg, and wool has become Australia's primary export. Its population is now estimated at 2 million and growing fast. -
Australia - No.1 in wool exportation
In 1870 Australia became the world's largest wool producer. -
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Sheep Numbers in Australia drop by around 50 million
Sheep numbers drop by nearly half between 1895 and 1903, amid one of the worst droughts in European settlement history. It takes about 30 years to reach the previous population of high of 106 million head. -
British Government buys the whole of Australia's Wool clip
During the outbreak of WW1, Britain required large amounts of wool for the manufacture of military uniforms. After some lengthy negotiations, the British government agreed to purchase the entirety of Australia's wool production. -
Major Buyers
By the mid-1920s, Britain was still buying about half of the wool clip, but Japan and the United States were becoming big buyers at auction events around Australia. -
Australian Wool Industry is 'Booming'
Wool accounts for more than 62 per cent of the overall export value of primary items by the 1930s. Australia's quality wool is in high demand worldwide. -
Record numbers
The Australian sheep population is now approximately 125 million head, an all-time high. -
"Fortune Favours the Bold"
The wool industry achieves its pinnacle of prosperity in 1950-51, when the average greasy wool price reaches 144.2 pence per pound. -
Australian Sheep number increased
The population of Australian sheep reaches another record number - 180 million head. -
Prices at a historic low
Wool prices reach an all-time low, valued at 60 cents per kilogram. -
Wool exports growing
Wool export passes $1 billion -
Wool Output intensified
As a result of extraordinary seasons and great demand, the production of wool is increased to over 1 billion kg throughout the 1980s. -
Australian Wool Industry collapses
In 1991, Australia's wool industry collapsed, resulting in an oversupply of wool. As a result, Australia had 4.7 million bales of wool stored in its warehouses. Due to the abundance of wool on the market, wool ranchers were obliged to shoot their sheep. -
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Bad Conditions
The 1990s were one of the driest periods in recorded existence. Drought struck most wool-growing areas in 2002–2003. -
Low Levels
Wool production and sheep numbers are at their lowest levels in 50 years in 2004.