Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to visit and have the chance to teach at Tarndwarncoort Homestead, a heritage farm nestled in the heart of the Otway region in southwest Victoria, Australia. The Dennis family has been raising sheep on this land since the 1840s, making “Tarndie” one of Australia’s oldest continuously operated family-owned wool farms.
The term Tarndwarncoort translates to “up and down like a bandicoot running” in the language of the Gulidjan people, who are the traditional owners of the land. For those of us unfamiliar with the term, a bandicoot is a marsupial mammal with a distinctive galloping gait.
Today, Tarndwarncoort Homestead reflects generations of hard work and adaptability. It remains very much a family affair. Seventh-generation Tom Dennis considers himself more of a steward of the homestead than an owner, and he works alongside parents Wendy and Dave who are sill involved in the farm’s daily operation.
Tarndie stables, which have been converted into lodging, at Tarndwarncoort Homestead in Victoria, Australia.
One Family, One Flock
The Dennis family developed Australia’s first sheep breed, the Polwarth, in the 1880s. When their flocks were struggling in the damp conditions of the Otways, they recognized the need for a type of sheep better suited to the local environment. They crossed their Saxon Merinos, originally from Tasmania, with local Victoria Lincolns.
After several generations of crosses, the Dennises had a 75/25 “comeback” flock that produced a sturdy, dual-purpose breed valued for both wool and meat. The Australian Sheep Breeders Association officially recognized the Polwarth sheep as a fixed breed in 1919.
Learn more about comeback breeds, including Polwarth and Targhee.
Polwarths are easy to handle due to their docile nature. Ewes are known as exceptional mothers and can lamb at all times of the year. Their smooth, wrinkle-free skin eliminates the need for the controversial practice of mulesing (removing strips of wool-bearing skin from the rear region of a live lamb to prevent flystrike).
The wool is exceptional. Today, the Polwarth’s abundant fleece has a micron count between 20 and 24 and a staple length between 4 and 5 inches (10 and 13 cm). Although most Polwarth fleece is classified as fine, it is suitable for beginning spinners and is treasured by experts. At Moorpark Farm (which is next door to Tarndwarncoort), Tom’s brother Al raises the family’s Polwarth sheep, which descend directly from their ancestors’ original flock.
Born-in-the-Wool Colors—from Sheep to Sweaters
In the 1970s, when Wendy taught herself to spin, she became interested in natural-colored fleece. Though Polwarth sheep have historically been selected to be bright white, Wendy and Dave worked diligently to develop a range of naturally colored fleece, including blacks through browns and a lovely range of grays.
While farm folk of the area had always spun their own wool and knitted, the wider world was experiencing a revival in these traditional crafts, and the natural-color shades of Tarndie’s Polwarth fleeces became especially coveted. At present, nearly half the flock is made up of naturally colored fleeces.
Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to visit and have the chance to teach at Tarndwarncoort Homestead, a heritage farm nestled in the heart of the Otway region in southwest Victoria, Australia. The Dennis family has been raising sheep on this land since the 1840s, making “Tarndie” one of Australia’s oldest continuously operated family-owned wool farms.
The term Tarndwarncoort translates to “up and down like a bandicoot running” in the language of the Gulidjan people, who are the traditional owners of the land. For those of us unfamiliar with the term, a bandicoot is a marsupial mammal with a distinctive galloping gait.
Today, Tarndwarncoort Homestead reflects generations of hard work and adaptability. It remains very much a family affair. Seventh-generation Tom Dennis considers himself more of a steward of the homestead than an owner, and he works alongside parents Wendy and Dave who are sill involved in the farm’s daily operation.
Tarndie stables, which have been converted into lodging, at Tarndwarncoort Homestead in Victoria, Australia.
One Family, One Flock
The Dennis family developed Australia’s first sheep breed, the Polwarth, in the 1880s. When their flocks were struggling in the damp conditions of the Otways, they recognized the need for a type of sheep better suited to the local environment. They crossed their Saxon Merinos, originally from Tasmania, with local Victoria Lincolns.
After several generations of crosses, the Dennises had a 75/25 “comeback” flock that produced a sturdy, dual-purpose breed valued for both wool and meat. The Australian Sheep Breeders Association officially recognized the Polwarth sheep as a fixed breed in 1919.
Learn more about comeback breeds, including Polwarth and Targhee.
Polwarths are easy to handle due to their docile nature. Ewes are known as exceptional mothers and can lamb at all times of the year. Their smooth, wrinkle-free skin eliminates the need for the controversial practice of mulesing (removing strips of wool-bearing skin from the rear region of a live lamb to prevent flystrike).
The wool is exceptional. Today, the Polwarth’s abundant fleece has a micron count between 20 and 24 and a staple length between 4 and 5 inches (10 and 13 cm). Although most Polwarth fleece is classified as fine, it is suitable for beginning spinners and is treasured by experts. At Moorpark Farm (which is next door to Tarndwarncoort), Tom’s brother Al raises the family’s Polwarth sheep, which descend directly from their ancestors’ original flock.
Born-in-the-Wool Colors—from Sheep to Sweaters
In the 1970s, when Wendy taught herself to spin, she became interested in natural-colored fleece. Though Polwarth sheep have historically been selected to be bright white, Wendy and Dave worked diligently to develop a range of naturally colored fleece, including blacks through browns and a lovely range of grays.
While farm folk of the area had always spun their own wool and knitted, the wider world was experiencing a revival in these traditional crafts, and the natural-color shades of Tarndie’s Polwarth fleeces became especially coveted. At present, nearly half the flock is made up of naturally colored fleeces.[PAYWALL]
These Polwarth sheep sport fleece that is naturally a luscious soft brown color.
The Dennis family tries to keep the wool processing as close to the farm as possible. All the fleece is scoured in nearby Geelong, which was once the center of the Victoria wool industry. There are no longer local mills capable of the volume required for Tarndie’s Origin and Homestead Garden yarns, so these are spun in New Zealand.
They both come in fingering- and DK-weights of worsted-spun yarn. Some yarn is returned to the farm to be hand-dyed, with an ever-changing array of bespoke colors. If you see something you like, you’d better grab it!
This undyed gray wool comes from Polwarth sheep and has beautiful shadow and depth.
The undyed natural colors of Polwarth wool vary slightly from year to year but always include several colorations. The resulting yarn is available in laceweight, fingering-weight, and DK-weight. The natural-colored sportweight and Aran-weight yarns are the most local—entirely grown and manufactured in Victoria. The wool is scoured in Geelong, processed into combed tops at Bacchus Marsh, and finally spun in Ballarat.
Tarndwarncoort yarns are wonderful to work with. They have a soft-next-to-skin hand, with a slight sheen. When knitted, they offer clear stitch definition and an elegant drape. The white fleece allows for beautiful clear colors, while the overdyed natural colors create more heathered shades—both are ideal for colorwork.
From fleece to yarn: Tom Dennis gives his mother, Wendy, a helping hand in her wool shop.
My Joyful Knitting Memories
It was the chance of a lifetime to teach colorwork knitting at Tarndie. I loved the back-and-forth conversations we had about color in such an inspirational setting. My students and I had the privilege of taking over the Farm Shop—which is housed in the charming old cider house, with the giant press still in the basement. The rustic interior is a fiber lover’s dream, filled with all the wool products from the farm and more!
The author teaching a knitting class at Tarndie. Photo by J. Arnall and courtesy of Tom Dennis
If you plan your visit right, you might be able to participate in a Crafty Sunday. These once-a-month events allow visitors to hang out with other like-minded wool devotees. In the winter, you can relax by the wood stove with a book you discover in Tarndie’s extensive textile library. Afterward, you might stroll the farm trail through the expansive gardens and around the property, where you’ll witness the sheep turning the grass into wool!
Tarndie is just under a two-hour drive from Melbourne: suitable for a day trip, but I guarantee that once you arrive, you’ll try to find a way to stay longer. When you meet the Dennis family, with their infectious enthusiasm for the homestead and their deep passion for preserving its legacy—and you hear them talk about their holistic approach to farming, fiber, sustainability, and innovation—you’ll be so inspired that you’ll never want to leave.
Sunset over Tarndie. Photo courtesy of the author
Resources
Polwarth Sheep Breeders Association of Australia, polwarth.com.au.
Tarndwarncoort Homestead, tarndie.com.
Mary Jane Mucklestone is a knitwear designer, teacher, and author of six knitting books specializing in stranded colorwork. Her volumes 200 Fair Isle Motifs and 150 Scandinavian Motifs sit on thousands of knitters’ bookshelves worldwide. She lives in Maine, where she is endlessly inspired by traditional knitting.
