New Zealand Sheep

Single 40c 'Coopworth - New Zealand bred Romney/Border Leicester cross' gummed stamp.

Somewhat similar in appearance to the Perendale, this cross between a Border Leicester ram and a Romney ewe is larger with a coarser, heavier fleece of wool in the general purpose class. The breed has increased in numbers, mainly at the expense of the Romney to which they have proved superior under some conditions. They prosper on productive land where farmers require higher lamb numbers.

Single 60c 'Perendale - New Zealand bred Romney/Cheviot cross' gummed stamp.

This breed was developed with a particularly strong constitution making it ideal for less productive, wet hilly conditions. While the wool weight is not as great as that of the Romney the wool is more bulky and of good, general purpose quality for use in knitwools, wool jersey and the medium to heavier uses. Perendales are prolific producers of large lean lambs making this an excellent dual purpose breed.

Single 80c 'Corriedale - New Zealand bred Merino/Lincoln/Border Leicester/Romney cross' gummed stamp.

The Corriedale is found in the hill country of Canterbury, Otago and Southland.  As it does not like extremely wet conditions the light rainfall of these areas suit it well.  It was the first synthetic breed developed in New Zealand, evolved from British Longwool and Merino crosses.  The wool, as with many other halfbred varieties, lacks the softness of Merino, being coarser and harder.  It is used where good quality and hard wearing attributes are sought.

Single $1.00 'Drysdale - of Romney extraction, bred in New Zealand' gummed stamp.

Developed as a special purpose carpetwool sheep from a Romney strain the Drysdale produces wool with high resilience so important for carpet use. The wool must be hard wearing and springy to recover quickly from flattening. Breeding is strictly controlled and kept to supervised closed flocks to prevent inadvertent mixing with other apparel wools. This horned sheep is handy, vigorous, a good breeder and very valuable to New Zealand's sheep industry.

Single $1.50 'South Suffolk - New Zealand bred Southdown/Suffolk cross' gummed stamp.

The wool of the South Suffolk is Down type and not of high quality but this is no detriment to the breed as it is used solely for meat production in export prime lamb. It is intermediate between its parent breeds - heavier than a Southdown but not as big as a Suffolk. The head and legs are free of wool and are a dark brown colour. Export demands have changed toward leaner meat breeds including the South Suffolk.

Single $1.80 'Romney' gummed stamp.

Brought to New Zealand in 1853, the Romney is now the predominant breed of sheep in this country. At least 50 per cent of New Zealand sheep are Romney. It originally evolved in the wet, exposed environment of southern England. In New Zealand it can be found successfully coping with any situation from the flat to steep hills. The wool is used in carpets, blankets, tweeds and furniture coverings. It has earned New Zealand millions of dollars in both wool and meat.