Since making their appearance around the 1830s the sheep industry has paved the way for successful agricultural ventures contributing millions to the state and national economy and cementing Australia as one of the top agricultural exporters in the world.

Few know the reality of New England’s agricultural success better than local Alpaca farmer Fiona Henderson, who has been immersed in the industry for close to two decades and said she has seen the highs and the lows.

“I bought my first alpaca before I was married,” she said.

“I’ve been breeding them for about 19 years now,”

Fiona, who at the height of her alpaca trade was running close to 50 top breeders and fleece producers, entered the industry in its earliest days and said her career as a New England producer exporting wares internationally and to Australia’s metropolitan capitals, all began with a university assignment.

“I was studying rural business administration and the particular assignment required students to pick a sunrise industry and alpacas got me better than soy beans and ostriches.”

At the time, Australia’s alpaca industry was in its infancy being introduced as an industry prospect as early as the 1980’s, but Fiona said Australia’s alpaca heritage stretches back into the late 19th century.

Though the industry failed to make any traction in Australia in the late 1800s, early merchant and adventurer Charles Ledger is credited with first introducing alpacas to the country after exporting a flock of around 256 animals from South America in November, 1858.

The industry failed to take hold in spite of alleged government promises to purchase flock, leaving Ledger with a small compensation for his efforts.

In the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Ledger is quoted as writing “On the faith of promises made in this country I undertook every risk—did succeed—and am ruined.”

Far from Ledger’s misfortune, Fiona said entering the industry in the late 80s and early 90s was a considered decision, based on her university studies, and one that had to make a profit.

“We had to do a management plan, a business plan, an animal husbandry plan, so from that assignment, I guess I learnt on paper what to do with them, how I was going to market them and who to go to,” she said.

“I spent a lot of money with my first female, my pregnant female, because I didn’t go into them as a cute fluffy business, I wanted them to make money. They had to pay for themselves.”

“I looked for confirmation and looked for fleece characteristics and that’s what I have always bred for—good fleece.”

From those early days, the Alpaca industry has continued to grow steadily with prime fleece paving the way to a promising future for Alpaca farmers.

While Fiona said the industry is narrow, given alpacas are almost exclusively farmed for their fleece, she said the excellent thermal qualities of Alpaca fleece has led to a stable trading floor in the industry.

“There was a study done in the Antarctic for a material that would be the best insulator and, other than polar bears, Alpacas came up second best. It has very good thermal qualities. It will keep you cool in summer and warm in winter,” she said.

And just as the New England region has ridden to success on the sheep’s back, Fiona said alpaca farming is no different.

“I think Australia has the best alpaca fleece in the world because we have ridden on the sheep back, regarding how to genetically improve and keep records,” she said.

“We have learned from the sheep farmers how to do that and we have listened to what manufacturers want with the alpaca fleece that they are buying. We’ve got the best fleece in the world.”

While Fiona’s alpaca fleece trade has taken a back step as she juggles life in rural and regional New South Wales alongside raising her family, she said her alpaca breeding program was highly awarded at its peak with a stellar showing career alongside a powering online business making sales across the globe.

As news breaks that Australia has secured a new alpaca trade agreement with Korea, Fiona said the future is looking bright for the growing Australian market.

“It’s brilliant news,” she said.

“It is a great opportunity and alpaca breeders have to get on board and embrace it. We have to evolve with the market at well.”