Featuring the pictured photo of Jeff Carter droving sheep on the Deniliquin stock route in 1954, it gave a brief insight into Deniliquin’s droving legacy.
The team from the centre have kindly granted us permission to share their information with our readers.
If you know Jeff Carter and can provide more information about his Deni droving days, we’d love to hear from you.
Email us at zoe.mcmaugh@denipt.com.au or call our office on 5881 2322.
The short article from the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre read as follows:
Wool growing quickly became a major industry in the area around Deniliquin.
George Hall Peppin and his two sons, experienced English sheep breeders, established a Merino stud at Wanganella station, north of Deniliquin.
There, the brothers developed the Peppin Merino, able to thrive in drier inland regions.
As Deniliquin was established on the convergence of major stock routes between the colonies of Queensland, NSW and Victoria's gold rush centres, it soon became an important river crossing and the first bridge was built over the Edward River in 1861.
In 1874, the Peppin brothers - George and Frederick - formed a double stud (recorded ewe and ram pedigree), the foundation stock being selected by TF Cumming.
They kept careful records of the yields of individual sheep, and breeding was methodically conducted.
At the Deniliquin Show in July 1878, Peppin & Sons won the society's, Goldsbrough's and the president's prizes for sheep.
The next year, Wanganella sheep won first prize for the most valuable fleeces from six ewes at the Sydney International Exhibition.
Today, as many as 70 per cent of Merinos in Australia are said to be directly descended from these sheep.
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