Us Aussies love our wool; it’s one of our biggest export materials and as producers of our country’s finest wool quilt and Aussie wool quilts range, we know a thing or two about the industry and the sheep themselves.
Here are some fun facts about wool and sheep that may surprise you:
- The first sheep brought to Australia was in 1788 with the First fleet. All but one of the original flock had been killed for food, or died, by the end of that year. In 1796 Captains Waterhouse and Kent sailed to the Cape of Good Hope to collect cattle; they returned with 26 sheep of which some made it back to Australia.
- The Merino sheep is the most popular sheep for wool in the world. Of the 900 sheep species in the world, it is most favoured for its soft, fine wool that is used for Aussie wool quilts, and our Merino wool quilt business is one of the best globally.
- The Guinness World Record for the fastest time to shear a single mature sheep is held by Australian, Hilton Barrett. The record stands at an incredible 39.31 seconds and was set at the Wellington Show 2010 in Wellington, New South Wales on 1 May 2010.
- Fleece from sheep has been used for blanket and clothing for centuries, and in fact there is evidence that it was even used in this form since the ice age.
- Sheep wool has a natural way to keep sheep and lambs from getting sunburnt in hot climates. It has a natural UV protection that is built into its fibres.
- One of the reasons that wool is so popular for blankets, duvets and clothing is its natural propensity to control odours. It has a permanent resistance to microbial growth and retention of odours. This is down to the fact that wool has incredible moisture absorption characteristics, as well as uneven fibres and negatively charged surfaces. The bacteria that is most likely to cause odour problems prefer exposed, even and positively charged materials and so wool is a great natural deterrent.
- The fibres of wool are incredibly flexible and durable. It amazingly has the ability to withstand being bent 20,000 times without breaking. Just to put that into context – cotton breaks after being bent 2,000 times and silk will break after 3,000 bends. Wool is naturally stretchy and has elasticity abilities that allow it to retake its shape after being bent time and again.
- A male Texel sheep named Deveronvale Perfection is the most expensive sheep to be sold to date. He was sold to a Scottish farmer for breeding purposes. The sale took place in Scotland in 2009 and cost a whopping $425,000.
- At 284,000 tonnes a year, Australia is by far the biggest producer of wool in the world.
- Sheep can see almost 360 degrees. This amazing peripheral vision is due to their large, rectangular pupils that allow them to even see behind themselves.
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