Sir Joseph Banks and the Australian Merino Sheep

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Recently I had the pleasure of meeting via zoom with Peter Wiggins-Davies from Revesby Estate

As a 6th generation farmer from a family of merino breeders since the convict William Sykes arrived in Australia in 1806 and was assigned to was assigned to John MacArthur.
He was sentenced to 14 tears transportation for buying a keg of stolen beer for his London pub. Interestingly, the man who stole the keg, was let off (transcripts of the trial at the Old Bailey are still available).

Not surprisingly, I have long had a fascination with the history of the Australian Merino sheep.

Furthering this fascination I recently read a book by H.E. Carter called “His Majesty’s Royal Flock. Sir Joseph Banks and the Merinos of George III of England”.

Reading this I discovered an unbelievable history of Merino sheep in the UK initiated by King George III and the essential part Sir Joseph Banks played in its establishment and development. The subsequent development of the Australian Merino industry and a large portion of our past and current prosperity as a nation is also part of this legacy of “Farmer George” and his loyal and learned friend, Sir Joseph Banks.

To lessen England’s reliance on imports of merino fleece from Spain and to “ameliorate” the quality of English broadcloth, King George III decided to establish his own experimental flock of pure breed merino ewes and rams. He also wanted to see if the merinos of Spain would lose their fine quality if they were removed from their particular environment, or was their fine quality related to genetics. With this objective his purpose and under instruction from King George III to keep the King’s involvement secret for the purchases, Sir Joseph in August 1787 started sourcing pure Spanish Merino’s for the Kings flock to be homed at Windsor and Kew.

Sourcing was difficult and involved smuggling, subterfuge, diplomatic interventions, bribery and secret correspondence between the two great naturalists of England and France who both had a passion for merino sheep. It puts James Bond and Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy to the boring side of historical story’s ledger. Less complicated purchases were also made from France and Saxony.

Once the flock was started Banks sold annual progeny to noblemen aligned with the Kings ambition to breed merino sheep in the UK.
Banks was an impeccable record keeper and the book lists the names of those noblemen who joined the cause and purchased the Kings merino sheep to use in their own early merino flocks.

A photo of the first purchasers of the King’s merino progeny is attached, you can see the names of the other landowners who also purchased sheep from the Royal Flock and hand selected for them by Banks.

Another interesting source of information about the King’s Merino enterprise is the Annual Reports of The Merino Society of the UK which was formed by Sir Joseph Banks on 4th March 1811.

Also mentioned in the book is how Banks promised to his friend and French fellow naturalist, Daubenton, in return for selling some of Louis XVI flock of merinos, a kangaroo from the new colony of New South Wales. This promise was fulfilled, and the first kangaroo seen in France arrived on 1 July 1789.

To this day the inquisitive, friendly, hospitable, generous, and welcoming spirit of Sir Joseph Banks continues through to Revesby Park Estate. 

My request to bring a group of Australia’s leading wool growers and farmers to visit Revesby Park was enthusiastically agreed to when I first spoke with Peter Wiggins-Davies.

While many more details are to be confirmed and hopefully more homes of “Farmer George’s” first  and subsequent merino progeny are approached we will be able to have a “Grand Tour” of the origin of “Merino mania” in the UK.

Many thanks in advance to Peter Wiggins-Davies for the invitation to write these few words and greetings to all from Australia.

With special thanks to Peter Sykes for his article. 

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