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Offcuts: The Kelpie - An Australian Icon

Champion kelpie sheepdog Fella dominates the ewes and lambs at Bel-Air station near Nyngan in NSW. Image credit: Paul Raffaele.

Loyal. Devoted. Sharp‑eyed and quick‑thinking.

No, I'm not talking about the mercurial Port Adelaide forward Robbie Gray but rather the traits of the Australian Kelpie, the amazingly intelligent breed of working cattle and sheep dog coined by many as the "king of the mob".

Of the almost 300,000 dogs working with livestock in the Australian bush, over 60 per cent are Kelpies and a quick search through the Quality Wool photo archives will attest to this ‑ they're the sheepdog of choice for 'Q' clients.

Our nation's love affair with Kelpies has spawned a festival (Casterton Kelpie Muster), a statue (also in Casterton) and a beloved family film (Red Dog), and these loyal workers and companions were as integral to the age where Australia rode on the sheep's back as anything.

While the Merino sheep has gone down in history as the catalyst for the development of Australia during the 19th and early 20th centuries, without the contribution of the Kelpie it may not have flourished and developed as rapidly.

But if you're wondering what all the fuss is about, here's some fast facts about these beloved farming dogs.

Origins: A horse, a dog and a river

The shearing shed at Warrock Station near Casterton, Victoria, widely recognised as the birthplace of the kelpie. Photo: Flickr.

The birth of the Kelpie breed has been the subject of much conjecture, even as recent as last year.

For much of the past 120 years, it was believed that Kelpies had partly descended from dingoes, but this was refuted by a 2019 University of Sydney study that found no link between the two.

What is known is that Warrock Homestead, north of Casterton, Victoria, is the birthplace of the Kelpie breed.

The original ‘Kelpie’ was born in 1871; her parents being a pair of black and tan Collies imported from Scotland by Warrock’s owner George Robertson.

Robertson had a policy of not selling females from the stock, but had given a pup to his nephew.

At a meeting on Warrock’s boundary on the banks of the Glenelg River, local drover Jack Gleeson met with Robertson’s nephew and asked to buy the pup.

The nephew initially refused to sell, but eventually swapped the pup for a horse which he fancied.

Shortly after, Gleeson left the district and Kelpie was mated with working dogs in Ardlethan, NSW.

The breed was officially registered in Australian in 1902.

What's in a name?

30 metre high stainless steel sculptures of the mythological 'kelpie' in Falkirk, Scotland. Photo: Wikipedia.

In keeping with the roots of the Border Collie and the original owner (George Robertson), the breed took its name from a popular Scottish myth or 'legend' of sorts.

Jack Gleeson named the dog after the kelpie which according to celtic folklore, is a mythological shape‑shifting water spirit inhabiting the lochs and pools of Scotland ‑ usually described as appearing as a black horse‑like creature.

Almost every sizeable body of water in Scotland has an associated kelpie story, but the most extensively reported is that of Loch Ness.

And yes, we're as confused by all this as you are but hey, don't shoot the messenger.

Going global

In addition to farming, Kelpies have also been successfully trained as scent dogs in many countries. Photo: SES Dogs WA.

After their formative years in Australia, Kelpies have now been exported to many other countries, for many other pursuits, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Italy, Korea, Argentina and Sweden.

By the 1990s, Kelpies had been successfully trained as scent dogs in countries such as Sweden, where they are widely used for tracking and rescue work, and have also proven to be extremely capable assistance and therapy dogs to those in need.

Why do we love them on the land?

Kelpies were specifically bred to work sheep in the unforgiving Australian conditions. Photo: American Kennel Club.

When it comes to a successful working dog in Australia, the first barrier to success comes in the shape of our harsh terrain and arid climate.

This has proven to be no issue for Kelpies, who were specifically bred to work sheep in the unforgiving Australian conditions, able to handle the heat as they’re less thickly coated than their British ancestors.

Often referred to as workaholics because of their intense stamina and endurance, it's commonplace for a Kelpie to run 50‑60 kilometres a day.

"A good Kelpie is said to be worth many workmen or women, particularly in mountain conditions or over vast areas".

Alert and watchful, an independent thinker, fiercely loyal and said to have a 'good eye' that can control a sheep with its gaze, all in all the Kelpie is a sheep farmer's dream and it's not hard to see why they've been a pivotal part of Australia's agricultural narrative.

A Worthy Investment

Shane Maurer with and $25,000 dog Possum and son Toby at the Jerilderie auction. Photo: Beef Central.

The value of Kelpies as a working dog are reflected in the amounts of money farmers are willing to part with to secure one.

In fact just last month, the national record price for a working dog was smashed with the sale of New South Wales stockman Shane Maurer’s Eveready Possum for $25,000 at the Jerilderie Working Dog Auctions.

Possum’s price topped the previous national record of $22,200, paid for Christian Peacock’s dog Glencairn Seven at the 2018 Casterton Working Dog Auction.

The world record for a working dog is £14,805 (or A$29,269 at the time), set at Skipton in May, 2016, for a 16 month‑old Border Collie dog Cap, sold by Northern Ireland’s Padraig Doherty, of Ardagh Sheepdogs, County Donegal.

Legacy

The Kelpie statue in Casteron, Victoria. Photo: Waymarking.

We've just stated the importance of the Kelpie to our national farming identity, and it has been celebrated accordingly.

Like many rural communities, the Victorian town of Casterton was in fast decline in the mid‑90s.

Wanting to establish something unique to attract visitors to the area, a light bulb moment occurred when locals realised the Kelpie was bred at Warrock Station, just north of the town.

From this, the Casterton Kelpie Muster was born, graduating from a one‑day auction where Kelpies were sold off the back of a ute in 1997 to a large‑scale event which attracted 10,000 people over the June long weekend in 2019.

In addition, the Australian Kelpie Centre was established in the town in 2018, with Casterton's tourism figures doubling since that time.

This has led many residents to credit the beloved breed with "saving" the town not once, but twice.

Is there anything they can't do?

Do you have a Kelpie or another breed of working dog? We're putting together a story about the sheepdogs of Quality Wool and want to hear from you! Get in touch with us via Facebook, Instagram or email (kmckay@qualitywool.com) with photos and details about your dog to be featured.

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