Bill Montgomery Wool Collection

The Bill Montgomery Wool Collection contains more than 5000 samples of wool that were grown in Australia between 1865 and 2000. The earlier samples provide material evidence of cross breeding programs that transformed the short-woolled Saxon Merino of the 18th Century into the much larger, long-woolled Australian Merino of the 19th Century. Information about the breeder, location and date of clip is provided for most samples. Results of Optical Fibre Diameter Analysis (OFDA 2000) are included for 1200 samples. The Collection also includes 147 examples of faults and stains occurring in Australian flocks, 20 pigmented wools and 33 rare and extinct breeds from around the world.