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Dexter History in Australia
Dexter cattle first came to Australia in the 1880s and enjoyed popularity in the early part of the 20th Century. There were Dexters and Kerries at the Government Stud Farm at Berry, NSW, in 1898 and Hawkesbury Agricultural College had a milking herd of Dexters in the early 1900s. Dexters began to be seen at Royal Shows and were bred as both commercial milkers and house cows. It is interesting the number of people who come to talk to our members at shows who can still remember milking Dexters in the early 1900-1930’s on farms throughout Australia. There are records of Dexters being at Royal Agricultural Shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth as early as 1901 and up until 1934. It is not known why the breed seemed to die out in the 1930s. Interest gradually waned and numbers dwindled worldwide until the Dexter was listed by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust which was established in 1973. Subsequently moves began to be made which re-introduced the Dexter into Australia as part of an international network of breeders and enthusiasts.
The Australasian Dexter Association was formed in March 1987 and became an incorporated body in September 1988. It allowed the registration of Dexters in both Australia and New Zealand. The early Dexter cattle were imported from Canada and the US due to foot and mouth outbreaks in UK. Many members started their herds using the semen from purebred Dexter bulls into foundation cows and keeping the resulting female progeny, then inseminating those registered female progeny in a grading up program.
In those early days Dexters can thank Don Burke who ran a segment on Burke’s Backyard giving details on Dexter cattle which brought an influx of enquiries and renewed interest, many people still today remind our members that they first saw them on Burke’s Backyard. Numbers increased throughout Australia at this time and Dexters have never looked back.
In July 2000 the Association became Dexter Cattle Australia Inc and created its own registered trademark soon after, this was mainly to reflect the nature of the membership which was now solely from within Australia as the New Zealand breeders had formed their own Association.
In March 2006 the Australian Herdbook was closed to Grade 1 registrations after a referendum of the membership, as we work towards a purebred Dexter herd in Australia
There are around 350 breeders spread right across Australia, with over 25 here in Tasmania. Our genetic pool has increased greatly with the further import of semen and embryos from South Africa, Canada, US and England. The diversity within the Australian herd now means that semen is available from a range of animals bred here in Australia in all three colours red, dun and black, with some polled animals also available.
The future is now bright for Dexters in Australia with a strong committed membership and diverse genetic base. Many thanks should be expressed to all those early contributors who brought the breed back and who should be justifiably proud of their achievements.
Part of this article is referenced to the Dexter Cattle Australia website
The Australasian Dexter Association was formed in March 1987 and became an incorporated body in September 1988. It allowed the registration of Dexters in both Australia and New Zealand. The early Dexter cattle were imported from Canada and the US due to foot and mouth outbreaks in UK. Many members started their herds using the semen from purebred Dexter bulls into foundation cows and keeping the resulting female progeny, then inseminating those registered female progeny in a grading up program.
In those early days Dexters can thank Don Burke who ran a segment on Burke’s Backyard giving details on Dexter cattle which brought an influx of enquiries and renewed interest, many people still today remind our members that they first saw them on Burke’s Backyard. Numbers increased throughout Australia at this time and Dexters have never looked back.
In July 2000 the Association became Dexter Cattle Australia Inc and created its own registered trademark soon after, this was mainly to reflect the nature of the membership which was now solely from within Australia as the New Zealand breeders had formed their own Association.
In March 2006 the Australian Herdbook was closed to Grade 1 registrations after a referendum of the membership, as we work towards a purebred Dexter herd in Australia
There are around 350 breeders spread right across Australia, with over 25 here in Tasmania. Our genetic pool has increased greatly with the further import of semen and embryos from South Africa, Canada, US and England. The diversity within the Australian herd now means that semen is available from a range of animals bred here in Australia in all three colours red, dun and black, with some polled animals also available.
The future is now bright for Dexters in Australia with a strong committed membership and diverse genetic base. Many thanks should be expressed to all those early contributors who brought the breed back and who should be justifiably proud of their achievements.
Part of this article is referenced to the Dexter Cattle Australia website
History of Dexters In Tasmania
1996 - 2006
Tasmanian Dexter Promotion Group – A Very Sketchy History.
Notes by Helen Wadsley August 2007
AGFEST 1996. Doug Barrett and Anna Murphy set up an information table on the Roberts’ Site, raffling bull semen!
The group was founded after AGFEST 1996, when on the Sunday an interested group collected at Longford Showground, with the support and encouragement of Ken and Barb Morriss (T-Whirler) of Victoria. The Morriss’ had been invited by Doug Barrett (Gleann Barried).
Tasmanians Present:
Doug and Libby Barrett (Gleann Barried)
Shane Hearps (Forth Valley)
Anna and Rob Murphy (Killah)
Adrian and Lyn Lee-Archer (Glenlee Lodge)
Julie and Ricky Blake (Upperdowns)
Wayne and Marilyn Webster (Yarlington)
Andrew and Helen Wadsley (Kawimbe Hills)
There were also some other people present who did not continue with the group. (Of that core group only Yarlington and Kawimbe Hills are registered in 2006, and only the latter active membership.)
Doug was elected first Chairman, Shane Hearps Treasurer and Anna Murphy Secretary.
First Newsletter created by Adrian Lee-Archer, after his election to the ADA. This issue noted the visit of Bill Butcher in February.
First official show by TDPG at Alt-Farming Devonport, April 1997 and then AGFEST 1997, memorable for the rain. We were housed in two green canvas army tents, with a pen of Gleann Barried heifers and Penare Kurana (bull). Site shared with Whiltshire Sheep breeders. Site and roads were awash with mud and many visitors stayed a while to dry out under cover and peruse the information materials. At our first AGFEST, a common reaction we had from the regular farmers was “what on earth good are they?” In more recent years the Dexters are more readily recognised and appreciated for their unique qualities for the small-holder.
Lebrina Sale 10th May 1997 (Golconda Rd Lebrina, Gleann Bairied Stud)
19 grade and PB cows and heifers, 2 bulls for sale, and 15 x 1st, 2nd & 3rd cross steers. Animals sourced from Upperdowns, Forth Valley and Gleann Barried Studs.
Prices:
Grade 1 heifers and cows - $325 to $1100;
Grade 2 - $2500
PB cow $3100
PB Bulls - $2000 and $5000
Average price steers (6-15 months) $150
Many Tasmanian studs bought their first animals at this sale. Penare Kurana was at that time the most common bloodline. He was a small animal with good temperament (but appalling feet.) Doug Barrett told a tale about how he discovered PK got around his lack of height when serving full-sized cows. He noted that PK always dug a hole in any paddock he was placed in. Walking by torchlight in a paddock searching for a cow about to calve, Doug found PK nudging a willing cow into the hole so that he could mount her from his new vantage point. A revelatory moment!
After Doug and Libby Barrett moved to Flinders Island, (following a disappointing season when he stopped counting after 18 bull calves) taking the rump of their herd with them. Adrian Lee-Archer took over as Chairman, and TDPG Councillor. He undertook his roles with enthusiasm. However, he also had to move interstate (to PNG initially) and found it impossible to keep up the necessary contacts. His herd was initially placed on different studs on an agistment arrangement and then sold on when it was realised the move interstate would be permanent. Tasmania suffers a lot of losses with moves necessitated by work commitments. Andrew Wadsley took over as Chairman, and continued his research into the history of the breed. Various studs sold up with relocation for work, including more of the originals, Killah and Upperdowns. Shane Hearps moved into Wagyu breeding as a more commercial proposition. More enthusiastic breeders took their places with Carmel McDonald/Cassells and Angela Foster, then Sue Crawford. All bred the state herd into greater numbers and spread the word about their potential. Several smaller studs (e.g Willow Creek) experimented on a domestic basis with dairying, producing beautiful cream and soft cheeses. They in turn sold milking cows on to non registered farms interested in domestic dairying. There has never been a problem finding takers for halves and quarters of Dexter meat. At one point Ian Munday, a southern butcher, was convinced of the commercial possibilities for the meat, and encouraged small-holders to buy up herds and provide him with a regular marketable supply. Unfortunately Ian’s sudden severe ill-health brought this venture to a close.
Bridgewater High School farm were given several grade Dexters to train up and they did well in shows. The girls liked the smaller cows, but the boys preferred the larger, more challenging Murray Greys. With the advent of Johnes disease accreditation the School’s main sponsor, a Murray Grey breeder, insisted they go Johnes’ free. This meant smaller Dexter breeders could no longer send their animals to the farm for training, as it was not financially practical to enter the Johnes program with multiple boundaries and the established pattern of moving cows and bulls around the island for servicing. It was a question of one-in-all-in or not at all, and there was no compensation for the expenses of the program. The much-vaunted Johnes program seems to have died an unsung death…
Notes by Helen Wadsley August 2007
AGFEST 1996. Doug Barrett and Anna Murphy set up an information table on the Roberts’ Site, raffling bull semen!
The group was founded after AGFEST 1996, when on the Sunday an interested group collected at Longford Showground, with the support and encouragement of Ken and Barb Morriss (T-Whirler) of Victoria. The Morriss’ had been invited by Doug Barrett (Gleann Barried).
Tasmanians Present:
Doug and Libby Barrett (Gleann Barried)
Shane Hearps (Forth Valley)
Anna and Rob Murphy (Killah)
Adrian and Lyn Lee-Archer (Glenlee Lodge)
Julie and Ricky Blake (Upperdowns)
Wayne and Marilyn Webster (Yarlington)
Andrew and Helen Wadsley (Kawimbe Hills)
There were also some other people present who did not continue with the group. (Of that core group only Yarlington and Kawimbe Hills are registered in 2006, and only the latter active membership.)
Doug was elected first Chairman, Shane Hearps Treasurer and Anna Murphy Secretary.
First Newsletter created by Adrian Lee-Archer, after his election to the ADA. This issue noted the visit of Bill Butcher in February.
First official show by TDPG at Alt-Farming Devonport, April 1997 and then AGFEST 1997, memorable for the rain. We were housed in two green canvas army tents, with a pen of Gleann Barried heifers and Penare Kurana (bull). Site shared with Whiltshire Sheep breeders. Site and roads were awash with mud and many visitors stayed a while to dry out under cover and peruse the information materials. At our first AGFEST, a common reaction we had from the regular farmers was “what on earth good are they?” In more recent years the Dexters are more readily recognised and appreciated for their unique qualities for the small-holder.
Lebrina Sale 10th May 1997 (Golconda Rd Lebrina, Gleann Bairied Stud)
19 grade and PB cows and heifers, 2 bulls for sale, and 15 x 1st, 2nd & 3rd cross steers. Animals sourced from Upperdowns, Forth Valley and Gleann Barried Studs.
Prices:
Grade 1 heifers and cows - $325 to $1100;
Grade 2 - $2500
PB cow $3100
PB Bulls - $2000 and $5000
Average price steers (6-15 months) $150
Many Tasmanian studs bought their first animals at this sale. Penare Kurana was at that time the most common bloodline. He was a small animal with good temperament (but appalling feet.) Doug Barrett told a tale about how he discovered PK got around his lack of height when serving full-sized cows. He noted that PK always dug a hole in any paddock he was placed in. Walking by torchlight in a paddock searching for a cow about to calve, Doug found PK nudging a willing cow into the hole so that he could mount her from his new vantage point. A revelatory moment!
After Doug and Libby Barrett moved to Flinders Island, (following a disappointing season when he stopped counting after 18 bull calves) taking the rump of their herd with them. Adrian Lee-Archer took over as Chairman, and TDPG Councillor. He undertook his roles with enthusiasm. However, he also had to move interstate (to PNG initially) and found it impossible to keep up the necessary contacts. His herd was initially placed on different studs on an agistment arrangement and then sold on when it was realised the move interstate would be permanent. Tasmania suffers a lot of losses with moves necessitated by work commitments. Andrew Wadsley took over as Chairman, and continued his research into the history of the breed. Various studs sold up with relocation for work, including more of the originals, Killah and Upperdowns. Shane Hearps moved into Wagyu breeding as a more commercial proposition. More enthusiastic breeders took their places with Carmel McDonald/Cassells and Angela Foster, then Sue Crawford. All bred the state herd into greater numbers and spread the word about their potential. Several smaller studs (e.g Willow Creek) experimented on a domestic basis with dairying, producing beautiful cream and soft cheeses. They in turn sold milking cows on to non registered farms interested in domestic dairying. There has never been a problem finding takers for halves and quarters of Dexter meat. At one point Ian Munday, a southern butcher, was convinced of the commercial possibilities for the meat, and encouraged small-holders to buy up herds and provide him with a regular marketable supply. Unfortunately Ian’s sudden severe ill-health brought this venture to a close.
Bridgewater High School farm were given several grade Dexters to train up and they did well in shows. The girls liked the smaller cows, but the boys preferred the larger, more challenging Murray Greys. With the advent of Johnes disease accreditation the School’s main sponsor, a Murray Grey breeder, insisted they go Johnes’ free. This meant smaller Dexter breeders could no longer send their animals to the farm for training, as it was not financially practical to enter the Johnes program with multiple boundaries and the established pattern of moving cows and bulls around the island for servicing. It was a question of one-in-all-in or not at all, and there was no compensation for the expenses of the program. The much-vaunted Johnes program seems to have died an unsung death…