Alpacas in Australia

Intelligent and enchanting, alpacas originated from South America and were by ancient ledgend said to be a gift to the Inca people, who reserved their exquisite fleece exclusively for the personal use of the royal Peruvian families.

Alpaca fleece has recently been appreciated and respected as the "fibre of the gods" in the global fashion industry and widely revered as being in the same exclusive class of rare natural fibres such as cashmere and pashmina.

Alpacas were first imported into Australia over twenty years ago and are now thriving in their new home. Today, Australia has the largest registered herd of alpacas, outside of South America, and their numbers exceed 85,000 animals. This compares to the approximate 100 million sheep in Australia.

On a global scale, the production of alpaca fleece is less than one quarter of one percent of the world's production of sheep's wool, with the Australian production of alpaca fleece being less than two percent of the world's production of alpaca fleece. Despite this, it is now acknowledged that the quality of Australian grown alpaca is of world class quality. A notable achievement for a short twenty years!

In Australia, there are approximately 2,300 alpaca breeders, some of whom have a few animals while there are several breeders with over 250 animals. Bred exclusively for their fine fleece,the industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years and is now recognised as a sustainable and genuine agri business by the Department of Primary Industry.

Alpacas come in 22 natural colours from pure white, greys, browns and pure black. Their fleece is in high demand for use in apparel wear,throw rugs/blankets and is now available in an exclusive and luxurious selection of quilts, underblankets and pillows.