New Zealand - Wool - Photo caption: “Taken at Raukawa. First load taken by steam” - “Thomas Tanner imported the first steam traction engine into Hawke’s Bay. Its top speed was 8hp. Its main duty intially was to transport wool to the railway station. The steam engine had a threshing machine which was attached to an elevator.” (Reference Hawke’s Bay Herald, 15 February 1883) - Houston collection Sheep farming - Established by the 1850s - Has played an important role in New Zealand’s economic history - 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 (see 15 February), sheep meat became a significant source of revenue as New Zealand forged a role as Britain’s farmyard. - For many, sheep symbolise New Zealand as a nation. - The sheep population peaked at just over 70 million in 1982. - By 2018 numbers had dropped to 27 million, after profits declined compared to other types of farming, notably dairying. (Reference: read more at https://nzhistory.govt.nz/first-sheep-released-in-new-zealand) Image source: Wool https://knowledgebank.org.nz/still_image/wool-3 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.