A Wooly Visit to the Home of Australia’s First Sheep Breed: Tarndwarncoort Homestead

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to visit and have the chance to teach at Tarndwarncoort Homestead, a heritage farm nestled in the heart of the Otway region in southwest Victoria, Australia. The Dennis family has been raising sheep on this land since the 1840s, making “Tarndie” one of Australia’s oldest continuously operated family-owned wool farms.

The term Tarndwarncoort translates to “up and down like a bandicoot running” in the language of the Gulidjan people, who are the traditional owners of the land. For those of us unfamiliar with the term, a bandicoot is a marsupial mammal with a distinctive galloping gait.

Today, Tarndwarncoort Homestead reflects generations of hard work and adaptability. It remains very much a family affair. Seventh-generation Tom Dennis considers himself more of a steward of the homestead than an owner, and he works alongside parents Wendy and Dave who are sill involved in the farm’s daily operation.

Tarndie stables, which have been converted into lodging, at Tarndwarncoort Homestead in Victoria, Australia.

One Family, One Flock

The Dennis family developed Australia’s first sheep breed, the Polwarth, in the 1880s. When their flocks were struggling in the damp conditions of the Otways, they recognized the need for a type of sheep better suited to the local environment. They crossed their Saxon Merinos, originally from Tasmania, with local Victoria Lincolns.

After several generations of crosses, the Dennises had a 75/25 “comeback” flock that produced a sturdy, dual-purpose breed valued for both wool and meat. The Australian Sheep Breeders Association officially recognized the Polwarth sheep as a fixed breed in 1919.

Learn more about comeback breeds, including Polwarth and Targhee.

Polwarths are easy to handle due to their docile nature. Ewes are known as exceptional mothers and can lamb at all times of the year. Their smooth, wrinkle-free skin eliminates the need for the controversial practice of mulesing (removing strips of wool-bearing skin from the rear region of a live lamb to prevent flystrike). The wool is exceptional. Today, the Polwarth’s abundant fleece has a micron count between 20 and 24 and a staple length between 4 and 5 inches (10 and 13 cm). Although most Polwarth fleece is classified as fine, it is suitable for beginning spinners and is treasured by experts. At Moorpark Farm (which is next door to Tarndwarncoort), Tom’s brother Al raises the family’s Polwarth sheep, which descend directly from their ancestors’ original flock.

Born-in-the-Wool Colors—from Sheep to Sweaters

In the 1970s, when Wendy taught herself to spin, she became interested in natural-colored fleece. Though Polwarth sheep have historically been selected to be bright white, Wendy and Dave worked diligently to develop a range of naturally colored fleece, including blacks through browns and a lovely range of grays.

While farm folk of the area had always spun their own wool and knitted, the wider world was experiencing a revival in these traditional crafts, and the natural-color shades of Tarndie’s Polwarth fleeces became especially coveted. At present, nearly half the flock is made up of naturally colored fleeces.