The Fat-Tailed Sheep on the First Fleet; Australia's First Sheep
13 days ago
- #Australian history
- #First Fleet
- #Fat-Tailed Sheep
- Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet purchased 29 Cape Fat-Tailed Sheep in Cape Town in 1787, marking the first sheep to land in Australia.
- The Cape Fat-Tailed Sheep were bred for meat, not wool, and had large, fat tails that stored flavorful fat, considered a delicacy in southern Africa.
- The sheep's tails could weigh up to 80 pounds, hindering their movement, and required special support devices like rawhide aprons or wooden wheels.
- The fat from the tails was used like butter, tasting sweet and pleasant, while the meat was lean and inferior to modern mutton.
- The breed's wool was short and of low commercial value, leading to their replacement by English and Merino sheep in South Africa and Australia.
- The Fat-Tailed Sheep are now rare, mostly found among indigenous communities in South Africa, and are not commonly seen in zoos or menageries.
- Eric Rolls documented the history of livestock breeds in Australia, including the introduction of Merino sheep, which established the country's wool industry.