Earliest History of Irish Wolfhounds in Australia

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This except is from an article that first appeared in an issue of the Australian publication, Oz Dog in 1994.

The history of the Irish Wolfhound has been well documented over the years. In the early 1860s Captain G.A. Graham, an Officer in the British Army, started to resurrect the breed using the best possible specimens available which included the Scottish Deerhound, Borzoi, Tibetan Wolfdog and some Great Dane crosses. Although Graham himself did not use the Great Dane he did use Dane/Wolfhound crosses and it is to him we are indebted for our present day Irish Wolfhound.

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In 1885 a club to promote the more complete recovery of this ancient dog was established in England with Lord Arthur Cecil as President and Captain Graham as secretary and treasurer. One of the first official acts of the club was to draft a standard of excellence for the Irish Wolfhound. Later a list of points in order of merit was drawn up to assist in judging. Although the first recorded dog show was held in Newcastle, England in 1859 it was not until 1885 that the first Irish Wolfhound appeared in the ring. Since that time few major shows have been without some Wolfhound representation. The kennel names of Felixstowe, Ouborough and Sulhamstead made a valuable contribution to the breed.

An interesting article appeared in the Kennel Gazette in England on July 1888 as follows:

"Irish Wolfhounds challenge only Dhulart first - looking by no means at his best had a walk over Garryowen first and shield - an immense youngster with good coat fair head and great bone. He is rather cow hocked but looked so well that he just beat Dhulart for the challenge shield as the latter was soft in coat and looked anything but smart.

Skibbereen - second. Was beaten in all respects - bone, coat, head and size.
Herbert - third withheld. Small and short of character
Bitches Nene - third. Very small and weedy.
Other prizes withheld. Considering the money given this class was most disappointing."

An interesting story regarding a bit of history and the use of Wolfhounds to hunt down and kill wolves was sent by Marcia Francis of Green River, Wyoming.

"I am a daughter of an 1863 Pioneer of Gallatin County, Montana..... I remember when I was four years old I had my picture taken with my father and his fourteen Wolfhound and Staghound dogs. In about 1900, my father, formerly of Virginia and Kentucky, had two Wolfhounds, male and female, and two yellow Staghounds shipped to Montana from somewhere in Virginia. The reason for wanting them was to destroy the timber wolf in Montana so prevalent in that day and a bane of the cattle, sheep and horse country..... The shepherd dogs could not combat the wolves and coyotes. These famous dogs lived to an old age, a very hardy dog ..... My great grandfather brought some [Wolfhounds] from England in the early days, in fact when Virginia was a colony."
Were there Wolfhounds in the USA when many people considered them to be extinct in Ireland?

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It is not unreasonable to consider that the early settlers in Australia were also able to transport some of these huge hounds to their new-found country. Hunting was not only a way of life but for some people their very survival depended on it. It is also quite possible that these early hounds were crossed with other breeds depending on the type of game to be hunted.

The old kangaroo hound had a mixture of Wolfhound, Deerhound and Greyhound in its make up. A big powerful dog was most certainly needed to pull down a kangaroo.

Mrs Mavis Neale of Mt Gambier, now aged well over 80 told how her family had owned Irish Wolfhounds on their farm property just outside Mt. Gambier when she was ten years old.

Their names were Tiger and Bluey and both were grey dogs. However Tiger was a sheep killer so her father said he had to be sold. Mavis Taylor (as she was then) was heartbroken when Tiger was sold to a Mr Turnbull from Queensland. On the day Tiger left, Mavis and her sister told Tiger if he was not happy in his new home the moment Mr Turnbull unchained him he was to come home. Nine months later Mr Turnbull informed the family that Tiger was missing. Mavis was convinced that he was coming home and as it was getting near Christmas Mavis asked only for dog food to be put in her stocking.

Her mother and father told her not be so silly but, just to humour her, did as she asked. Early on Christmas morning Mavis was woken by something scratching at the gate. She woke her sister and made her carry the lantern while they ran to the gate.

In the dark stood Tiger barely alive.

His feet were raw and his ribs were showing after his epic journey hundreds of miles across some very hostile country. Tiger did survive with Mavis bottle feeding him until he was able to walk again. Her father let her keep Tiger. He said after what he must have been through to get home, there was no way he could send him back again.

A fascinating story as this was before any documented record of Irish Wolfhounds in Australia.

The first Irish Wolfhounds registered in Australia were by Miss Bella Bruce Reid of the Kildara kennels of Bundoora in Victoria in 1928. These dogs were from the famous Brabyns kennels in England and bred by Captain Hudson. No bitches were ever sold from the litters produced as she was concerned that they would be used as crosses. We know that some were imported in the 1950s mainly for hunting purposes although one was exhibited around 1954.

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The next appearance of a Wolfhound in the show ring seems to be in 1972 when the late Dr Phil Cunningham (Pilelo, SA) and Col and Mrs Scott (Ole, Victoria) exhibited their imports at the Melbourne royal show. These were from the Fitzearlach, Tullygivan, Ballykelly, Erindale, Delkerry and Aelius Kennels. A year later, Mrs Buxey (Abdillya Vic) and Mrs Kowalick (Glenmaer SA - now ACT) imported from Brabyns, Buckhurst, Eaglescrag and Witchesbroom kennels so began the Irish Wolfhound fraternity which is in evidence today. That year also saw the start of the Tirowen Kennels in South Australia.

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The first litter from the imports was in 1973 at Pilelo from Ballykelly Seorse (Eire) and Tullygivan Sheelagh (Eire) with several others - Ole, Abdillya and Glenmaer -following in 1974. 1975 saw the Drayton kennels in Victoria established while the Pilelo Kennels only produced 4 litters - the last being in 1975. The Ole prefix went on until 1981 and Abdillya bred its last litter in 1984, after which Mrs Buxey returned to Europe.

Drayton and Tirowen were still breeding regularly whilst Glenmaer just has the occasional litter. The Kilrain dogs of Irene Parow also did well and her import Erindale Trader Prince was the first Irish Wolfhound to go best in show at an all breeds champ show in Australia. Irene Parow also returned to the UK.


Excerpt from an article by John Lewington

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