绵羊在澳大利亚的引进和传播

Introduction and Spread of Sheep in Australia

在欧洲白人到达之前,澳大利亚并没有畜牧业,土著人也没有饲养牲畜。1788年,英国“第一舰队”抵达植物湾,不仅带来了大量农作物,随船还带有羊、牛、猪等若干家畜,这些家畜成为澳大利亚早期畜牧业的基础。后经麦克阿瑟、佩平等优秀养羊者的改良培育,外加优越的放牧条件和科研配种技术的投入,羊毛业有了飞速发展,大量羊毛出口成为促进澳大利亚19世纪经济增长的重要原因,其副业羊肉生产也得益于冷冻技术的应用而有所发展。迄今澳大利亚已发展为现代农牧业最为发达的国家之一,羊群总数及羊毛产量稳居世界第一,特别是澳洲美利奴羊毛,更是享誉世界。故旧大陆绵羊的传入,不仅是家畜的传播,更是新旧大陆农业文明交流的重要结晶,对澳大利亚畜牧业产生了不可估量的重大影响。

Before the arrival of European whites,there was no animal husbandry in Australia,and the aborigines did not raise livestock.In 1788,the British"First Fleet"arrived at Botany Bay,bringing not only a large number of crops,but also a number of domestic animals such as sheep,cattle and pigs,which became the basis of early animal husbandry in Australia.After the improvement and cultivation by MacArthur,Pepin and other excellent sheep breeders,coupled with superior grazing conditions and investment in scientific research and breeding techniques,the wool industry developed rapidly.A large number of wool exports became an important reason for Australia’s economic growth in the 19th century and its sideline mutton production also benefited from the development of refrigeration technology.So far,Australia has developed into one of the most developed countries in modern agriculture and animal husbandry whose total number of sheep and wool production ranks first in the world,especially Australian Merino wool is world-famous.Therefore,the introduction of sheep from the old continent was not only the spread of livestock,but also an important crystallization of agricultural civilization exchange between the old and new continents,which has an immeasurable and significant impact on Australian animal husbandry.