Illawarra

Illawarra cattle have taken their name from the Australian aboriginal word for a piece of land 50 miles south of Sydney, land locked between the Pacific Ocean and what was once a near impenetrable escarpment which rears abruptly to the west.

In Australia dairying began as an industry in the 1840's, up till then cattle had mainly been produced for beef.
The early settlers had for the most part, cleared the Illawarra area with the assistance of convict labour. All breeds, types and colours of cattle had been introduced into the area.

Cattle grants from Government and private herds reached the Illawarra. These included Longhorn Durhams, Shorthorn Durhams, Red Lincolns, Red Ayrshires and Jerseys. However, three members of the Osborne family from Northern Ireland had, since 1829, laid the foundations of a dairy industry, and in doing so, the evolution of the breed the Australian Illawarras. The Osbornes imported the best cattle, promoted the first Agricultural Show at Wollongong and encouraged others in forming a dairy industry.

   more...