Creating Australia's Stud Book

Jane Researching

This section reveals how our dog world grew without any identification system or Stud Book in place to define or record details of our Australian pure breed dogs. Consequently, unlike the British who we attempting to emulate, we did not have any framework which would clearly separate 'a good dog from a useless cur'^[1]. Consequently for 145 years, the breed and parentage of our pure breed dogs was mainly guesswork. This charts the journey to put our Australian dog world onto the world stage.

Reference and Further Reading

^[1] "Hobart Mercury" 13th November 1862 reporting the Canine Exhibition of 1862 held at Mr Moore's Horse Bazaar in Liverpool Street Hobart Town, Tasmania

Australia's Dog Show Scene Begins

This describes how our pure breed dog world grew without an Australian Stud Book or co-ordinating body. This followed the practice of our Governments at that time. As a result, our dog world developed as separate entities in each State. This explains the consequences of the lack of autonomy between the States which affected our registration systems or Stud Books ... »» Read more...

Quest for an Australian Stud Book

From 1862 when Australia's first dog shows was held, usually the breed, sex and age was listed. Dog enthusiasts could have never predicted how our modern dog world would develop. Today registrations, pedigree information and other data like breed characteristics defines our pure breed dogs. This is an outline of the growth from the scant information contained in those early ... »» Read more...

Agricultural Societies, Prefixes and the ANKC

Moving into the 1900's throughout Australia, compulsory memberships of the various State controlling bodies became entrenched into registration systems. While this solved our problems of unscrupulous dog traders that invented pedigrees, with no Stud Book in place, there was still a need for structure. This page outlines how Australia's State's bodies called upon our the Agricultural Societies and our Sheepdog ... »» Read more...

History of Dogs Victoria

The Victorian Canine Association Inc. (VCA) which now trades as Dogs Victoria, began in 1991. In line with canine associations in Australia's other independently governed States and Territories the VCA is overseen by a Federal body, the ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council). The VCA is Victoria's elected independent controlling body which is responsible for carrying out Victoria's canine affairs, including ... »» Read more...

Australia's 145 years of Dog Registration

Having dealt with Victoria, this is the other Australian State and Territory's journeys via their respective Agricultural Societies, to become separate controlling bodies. 'Controlling body' is a historical term which today is still the organisation people must join before participating in any aspect or activity involving of pure-bred dogs. »» Read more...