sheep

First held at the Masterton War Memorial Stadium in 1961, the Golden Shears competition has become the iconic event for the shearing and wool-handling industry in New Zealand. Read more...

At Ōpiki, Manawatū, Godfrey Bowen set a new world record, shearing 456 full-wool ewes in nine hours. Bowen helped establish sheep shearing as a legitimate sport and was one of the first people inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Read more...

Mackenzie escaped but was recaptured 11 days later. Sentenced to five years' imprisonment, he was pardoned in January 1856. Read more...

During his second voyage to New Zealand, James Cook released a ewe and a ram from the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) in Queen Charlotte Sound. They survived for only a few days, an inauspicious start to this country's long association with sheep. Read more...