Merriman family has long history in growing wool

Indeed, in its 120th year, it might be seen that the sheep bred in the stud are more relevant and necessary than ever.

Success during the 2023 Sydney Royal Merino Sheep Show confirmed the stud's position as a pinnacle genetic source.

Stud co-principals Wal and George Merriman returned to Boorowa with sashes for grand champion fine wool ewe, grand champion ultrafine wool ram and reserve grand champion fine wool Poll Merino ram.

The last named ram was also first in the production class, while the supreme exhibit, a superfine ewe bred in the Conrayn stud at Berridale by Peter and Jane Lette, was sired by a Merryville-bred ram.

The grand champion fine/medium wool ram bred and shown by the Davis family, Demondrille, Harden was the same story.

The solid foundation to the Merryville stud was made in 1865, when the late George Merriman founded the Ravensworth stud in the Yass district of NSW.

The Merryville stud, formerly a portion of the original Ravensworth stud, began in a small way in 1903 and was founded on some of the purest and best Merino blood in Australia.

These included Birangambil and Cullenbone (Mudgee) and Tasmanian studs such as Winton and Glasslough.

After the death of George Merriman in 1915, the Ravensworth stud was divided between his three sons.

After acquiring his share, Sir Walter Merriman (as he was known after his knighthood in 1954) went on to breed a type of Merino which is now known today as the "Merryville" type.

The Merryville stud remained predominantly of Saxon type until the late 1920s after which time Sir Walter selected specific Peppin-type sheep to join to suitable Merryville stud ewes.

At that time, a Wanganella Estate ram called Sir Francis was purchased to create a medium wool 'family' within the stud.

Today, many of the fine/medium families can be traced back to this ram.

"The class of sheep I had in mind was a big sheep with sound constitution, broad soft, open face, a deep plain neck, with well sprung ribs, broad brisket and deep body," Sir Walter Merriman said in 1956.

Grandsons of Sir Walter Merriman, Wal and George Merriman, continue to breed the Merryville stud.

The stud has managed to stand the test of time, due to the continuity of family ownership and generational expansion.

"We are not just in it for the money or lack of it," Wal Merriman said.

"We have been changing our breeding practices to adapt to market demands, for example, collecting raw data such as micron testing and fleece weighing, but we still focus on the constitution and correct conformation of the sheep.

"They are finer by a micron, yet we have been able to breed them bigger with heavier fleeces grown on grass.

"And our sheep, with their bright and lustrous fleece with lock on a free-flowing skin, are resistant to flystrike, an important trait.

"Exhibiting our sheep has always been important and we continue to compete to keep up with current trends and note how our sheep compare against others."

The continuity of the stud has been a matter of succession planning whereby it has stayed in the family and handed on generation to generation through wills.

"It hasn't always been easy but we have been able to adapt to the various generational buyouts," Wal Merriman said.

"We have also adapted to changes in breeders' demand, we don't follow trends but our sheep have definitely increased in size while still keeping the true 'Merryville' type wool - bright, lustrous, deep crimped and soft with a good lock.

"That has been noticed by our peers through our sales and at the Sydney Royal where Merryville has won the Stonehaven Cup 27 times and the supreme Merino exhibit 12 times.

"George and I are very proud of our family's history in the Merino industry and the record of show and sales achieved by our grandfather and secured by our father.

"It is to them we pay due tribute."

The Merryville stud will stay in the Merriman family, with Alec, son of George, becoming actively involved with the management of the sheep.

"We have a great legacy and it's up to us to continue and improve the type and expand the operations," Wal Merriman said.