The Farmer and Settler (Sydney, NSW : 1906 - 1957) Friday 23 September 195587904

RECALLING THE PIONEERS
No. 44 — John Mildred Sanger
By James Jervis

J.M. Sanger - The London Businessman Who Founded A Famous Stud

[photo]
JOHN MILDRED SANGER
From Cirencester To Wangamong

The Sanger family has been associated with the stud
sheep industry at Wangamong, in southern New South
Wales, since 1850.

The pioneer of the
family was John Mil
dred Sanger who was
born at Cirencester, in
Gloucestershire, In
1816, and entered the
commercial life of Lon
don after completing
his education.
He was a member of tht
Royal Geographical So-
ciety, and placed before
that body a scheme for the
construction of a canal
through the Isthmus ol
Panama. His proposal was
premature but many years
later a canal was cut across
Panama.
He also took an active part
in the promotion of a col-
onisation scheme in cer-
tain islands, but the pro-
ject failed.
He came to South Aus-
tralia in 1837 and became
Interested in coppermin-
ing in that colony. He was
said to be the first to smelt
copper there.
At a later stage he moved
to Port Phillip district
where he gained experi-
ence in the pastoral in
dustry by managing station
properties.
Started Stud
He took up Wangamong,
a property about 34 miles
from Jerilderie, in 1850.
In 1853 he founded the
Wangamong Stud by the
purchase of the biggest
framed ewes obtainable of
Macarthur's Camden blood,
to which were added some
Learmonth rams.
The Learmonth flock at
Ercildoune, which formed
part of the basic flock, was
one of the finest Merino
flocks in Victoria.
It owed much to the pro-  
geny of sheep brought to  
Australia in 1832 by
Thomas Henty, and the  
Circular Head Co., of Tas-  
mania.
These sheep were sent to
Samuel Bryan's property at
Southmore, and many bree-  
ders, including Learmonth,
bought sheep at the annual
sales held there.
In 1863 Sanger went to
Wanganella and saw some
sheep, the progeny of Pep-
pin's Imported Rambouillet
ram, Emperor.
So impressed was Sanger
with these animals that he
offered George Peppin £10
per head for 10 of the fol-
lowing season's drop of
rams by the Emperor.
This offer, then regarded
as a high one, was accept-
ed.
The rams, regarded as
the pick of the season, cut
at four, six and 8 tooth re-
spectively, 21, 22 and 22£
lb. of very bright, strong,
dense wool.
This introduction further
improved the Wanganella
type, previously large
framed, and gave all the
size J. M. Sanger wanted.
No further infusion of
blood was necessary, nor
was any made. As a re-
sult Wangamong sheep de
veloped a type of their own.
Sanger lived to see his
idea perfected and a type
of Merino sheep evolved
which was in the front
rank of - its breed.
J. M. Sanger died in 1904.
In 1907 the estate and
stud were divided between
his two sons, William Brent
and Charles Dunford, the
former taking the home
stead section and the lat
ter the southern portion,
which became known as
South Wangamong.
The flock was classed in
to small lots and the
brothers took pick and
pick about until the sheep
were equally divided.
William Brent Sanger,
the eldest son, was born at
Wangamong in January,
1864, and educated at
home, and at J. S. Thomp-
son's Kew High School.
Sheep Judge
He took an active part
in classing the sheep on
Wangamong and recording
the results from the age of
14. He had charge of the
flock for many years.
He was a well-known
sheep judge and between
1887 and 1917 he judged at
over 70 shows.
Flock rams from the
Wangamong flock were al
ways in great demand, and
were sold all over the Com-
monwealth, New Zealand
and South Africa.
For years the annual out
put was between 1000 and
1500 rams. Wangamong
held for a long period the
best all-round average price
per pound.
It held, also, the greasy
wool record price for Cen
tral Riverina.
The wool yield was good.
In 1914, a very dry year
with a rainfall of only six
inches, Wangamong sheep
averaged a yield of 12i lb.
of wool.
In November, 1916, 50
bales of greasy wool aver
aged 28£ pence per pound,
an Australian record up to
that time.
The whole clip averaged
28.03 pence per pound, a
record for that year.
Grandson's Part
W. B. Sanger married
Isobel Larritt, a daughter
of R. W. Larritt, Inspector
of Roads and Bridges in
'Victoria.
A son, John Mildred, was
born hi 1888 and educated
at Geelong Grammar
School. From 1906 onward
he took an active part in
the management of the
property.
Charles Dunford Sanger
was born at Wangamong in
1870 and educated at Gee
long Grammar School.
South 'Wangamong, which
he owned from 1907, cov-
ered an area of 7000 acres
of freehold land.
C. D. Sanger took over
the management of his
father's property in 1889,
and in 1899 he and his
brother leased it.
In 1907, as already men-
tioned, the property was
divided between C. D. and
his brother.
C. D. Sanger married
Charlotte Rebecca, daugh-
ter of Benjamin Crosth-
waite, a well-known pas-
toralist.
He took an interest in
racing, was vice-president
of the Corowa Picnic Race
Club and had his own pri-
vate training track on the
property.
South Wangamong rams
had big frames, good bold
heads and fronts, and an
excellent quality of bright,
shafty wool.
Heavy Rams
The live weight of South
Wangamong rams averaged
about 210 lb. and they cut
fleeces averaging 24 lb.
The stud sold from 800
to 1200 rams a year in all
parts of Australia, South
Africa, New Zealand and
South America.
Wangamong and South
Wangamong Studs were
dispersed in the 1940's. af
ter being carried on for
over 90 years.