Early European Pioneers introduced pastoral farming of sheep to New Zealand, the first sheep arrived in New Zealand in 1773, and by 1850 sheep farming was firmly established.

Wool was ideal for export because it was easy to store and ship on the sailing ships and there was strong overseas demand due to an expanding textile industry

New Zealand’s first shipment of refrigerated meat went to London in 1882. This opened an important market opportunity.

Farming in the North Island was slower to establish because of Māori land ownership and expansive areas of bush, which were expensive to clear. By 1900, the government had acquired 3.15 million acres of this land and made it available to European settlers. After this, mutton lamb and wool became the main source of income for sheep farmers.

Commercial aerial top dressing began for spreading superphosphate fertiliser in 1949, helping the fertility and productivity of the land; this progressed sheep farming into the modern sheep industry.

Our country is famously referred to as a place of more sheep than people. This is of course, absolutely correct. New Zealand’s population is around 4.4 million people and there are approximately 34 million sheep - about 8 sheep for every person.

Sheep have been a large part of New Zealand’s history and prosperity for over 160 years.

Experience the history of Sheep Farming when you visit the Wool Shed Museum