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Where does Merino sheep come from?
Merino sheep come from the Iberian Peninsula. They were bred in medieval Spain for wool so fine that the Spanish kingdom guarded the breed for centuries, long before merinos became the backbone of Australia's wool industry.
Bred in medieval Spain
Spain's old native sheep, the churro, grew coarse, coloured wool of little value. The merino took shape over several centuries as Spanish ewes were crossed with imported rams, a mostly Spanish origin that genetic studies support. Spain became known for fine wool in the late 15th century, and by the mid-1500s its merino wool was judged equal to the finest English wool.
A treasure guarded by law
Fine wool made Castile rich. The Mesta, a powerful association of sheep owners, grazed huge flocks on the southern plains in winter and the northern highlands in summer. Spain held a near-monopoly on fine wool exports in the late 15th and 16th centuries, and before the 18th century exporting merinos was a crime punishable by death. Then the Spanish crown began sending flocks to other European courts: Charles III sent one to Saxony in 1765, and Louis XVI received 366 sheep in 1786, founding France's Rambouillet stud.
Why people say Australia
Australia made the merino famous. In 1797 Captain Henry Waterhouse and Lieutenant William Kent bought 26 merinos at the Cape of Good Hope, where Spanish sheep given to the Dutch had thrived, and shipped them to Sydney. John and Elizabeth Macarthur built up a flock from Waterhouse's sheep, and in 1807 they sent the first bale of Australian wool to England. By the late 1800s wool was Australia's main export, and in the early 21st century Australia still produced more than half the world's merino wool.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org ↗ · teara.govt.nz ↗ · digital-classroom.nma.gov.au ↗
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