1773 NZ's first sheep released

During his second voyage to New Zealand in 1773, James Cook released a ewe and a ram from the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) in Queen Charlotte Sound. They survived only a few days, an inauspicious start to this country’s long association with sheep.

Sheep farming has played an important part in New Zealand’s economic history. For many tourists, sheep symbolise New Zealand as a nation. Numerous jokes have been made over the years about New Zealanders and sheep, or the proportion of people to sheep. The sheep population peaked at just over 70 million in 1982. By 2010 there were less than half that number, as profits declined in comparison with other types of farming.

Sheep farming established itself in the 1850s and for several decades wool accounted for more than a third of New Zealand’s exports by value. Following the first export shipment of frozen meat in 1882, sheep meat became a significant source of revenue as New Zealand forged a role as Britain’s farmyard.

More than half of New Zealand’s sheep are Romney, an English breed valued as a dual-purpose animal capable of producing both wool and meat of good quality. Romneys are also able to tolerate New Zealand’s varied climates.