Question

In Australia, the owner of a sheep station is called____________.
A. Pastoralist
B. Grazier
C. Squatter
D. All of these

Answer 1

Hint: Sheep Stations are large in size (1000 sq. kms) which served as a grazing ground and able to sustain enough food and water for the stock. These stations are also referred to the homestead and they are on Crown land pastoral leases. The dry climate of Australia is ideal for wool production plus the grassland vegetation is suitable for sheep rearing.

Complete Answer:
- A sheep station is equivalent to a ranch basically meant for raising sheep for their wool and meat. Australian aborigines played a great role in successful running of these stations especially in northern Australia.
- These sheep stations become important after the gold rushes (the abundance availability of gold in Australia which leads to its colonization by whites.)
- It started in Australia when British colonizers started raising sheep in Sydney cove in 1788. These people are mainly Pastoralist (which deals with animal husbandry), they rear animals like goats, sheep, and buffaloes and release them onto large outdoor pastures for grazing. In Australia these owners are called Pastoralist, grazier, or formerly a squatter.
- Routine practices include supervising, mating, treating for ticks, lice, ear tagging. Example of some of the stations are rawlinna station, Anna creek station(largest sheep station in Australia)
- The most famous sheep of Australia is merino sheep well known for its high quality wool (finest and softest wool).

Hence the correct solution is Option D. all of these.

Note: Sheep raising regions are distributed in southern continents, China, Russia, plus European countries. Australia produces around 32% of the world's total wool production (the highest in the world). Also it is the leading producer in lamb and mutton for consumption. India is also well known for sheep and goat rearing, located in arid regions of Ladakh, Jammu. Pashmina shawl, a well known cashmere shawl is made out of pashmina goat of ladakh.