Wendy & David Dennis run a Polwarth sheep and wool growing enterprise on their historic Birregurra property 'Tarndwarncoort', established 1840, in Western Victoria. Polwarth sheep were developed by Richard Dennis at Tarndwarncoort in 1880, by crossing Saxon Merino sheep from Tasmania with Victorian Lincoln sheep. This progeny was then joined back to the Merino and breed to a fixed type. These sheep were named after the local electorate of Polwarth and are Australia's first breed of sheep. www.polwarth.com.au
ProductsFleece Wool
Unique Australian Polwarth wool is soft, high yielding, well crimped, 24 micron with a 10-12 cm staple, ideally suited to handspinning.
One thousand white and naturally coloured sheep wear specially designed sheepcoats all year eliminating dust, mud, grass seeds and a harsh burnt and bleached wool tip.
 | The annual March shearing has been completed. Despite the severe drought contitions in Western Victoria, our coated Polwarth natural coloured wool is a dream to handspin. Elite quality fleece staple length is over 13cm and up to 17cm.Export quality 10 - 12.5cm. Our natural colours range from white through the silver greys, mid to dark greys and black. We also have browns from tan to dark chocolate in colour. |  |
Yarn
Our four and eight ply Polwarth yarn is worsted spun and sold in approximately
one hundred and fifty gram hanks.The natural wool colours are white, silver and dark grey/brown. These colours are also available blended with mulberry silk or hand-dyed in a wide range of colour effects.
Sample Packs
Handspinners or Handknitters product sample pack are available at $20 each, posted Australia wide OR $30 posted Internationally.
Spinning Equipment
Majacraft spinning wheels and equipment are also available.
Our Polwarth Wool Room has:-
- Selected natural coloured coated fleeces.
- Worsted spun 4ply & 8ply Polwarth yarn.
- Combed tops in natural white, silver grey or dark grey/brown or blended with silk.
- Combed tops hand dyed.
- Carded rovings in white or silver grey or hand dyed.
- Hand knitted jumpers, scarves and beanies.
- Embroidery yarns in many hand dyed colours.
- Knitting needles made from casein milk powder.
- Majacraft spinning wheels and equipment.
- Kraftkolour Landscape wool dyes.
- Wool Pages 2008 booklet.
- International 'Back to Back' Wool Challenge information.
- Brochures on our holiday cottages.
Our Retail Outlets:-
We will be at the following Victorian 2008 events:Sheep & Wool Show 18 - 20 July, Bendigo
Birregurra Festival 5 - 6 October
You can buy our Polwarth wool from Tourist Information Centres at Apollo Bay, Colac and Lorne.
Also at:
Flying Fishes, Lorne
National Wool Museum, Geelong
Otway Fly Tree Walk, Lavers Hill
Tasmanian Wool Centre, Ross
Also available overseas:
Canada - Rovings - www.rovings.com
Japan - Spin House Ponta - www.spinhouse-ponta.com
The Netherlands - The Spinners - www.despinners.nl
Two self contained cottages in a peaceful & private setting
overlooking the Western Plains & Mt.Gellibrand. Forty five minute
drive through the Otway Ranges to Lorne seaside resort and the Great
Ocean Road.
