Ardlethan, Home of the Kelpie

From the shores of Scotland to the Glenelg River in Victoria and the town of Ardlethan. This is the story how the Kelpie breed evolved near Ardlethan. This great working dog is found all over the world, with bloodline going back the efforts of largely one local man, North Bolero Station Manager Jack Gleeson.

Jack Gleeson, a drover working at Dunrobin Homestead, wanted to buy a female pup but could not obtain one from well-bred collie pup runholder George Robertson from a station of the Glenelg River in Victoria. Roberston did not sell females from the stock but had given one to his nephew. Gleeson approached his nephew to purchase, after initially refusing he eventually swapped the pup for a horse. The pup was given the name, ‘Kelpie’. Little did Gleeson know that the otherwise unremarkable little dog would one day make Australian history as the founding member of a great breed.

Gleeson left Victoria in 1870 and made his way north to a property 20kms from Ardlethan. Along the way, he called in to see a friend, who gave Gleeson a young dog named ‘Moss’, who was imported from Scotland. ‘Moss’ mated with Kelpie, who whelped the nation’s first kelpie pups shortly after.

Gleeson never sold his pups, instead giving them to keen local sheep dog workers. In 1885, a dog called ‘Brutus’ and a dog called ‘Jenny’ arrived in the area as Scottish imports. The pair were mated and produced pups, one of which was mated to Kelpie on Gleeson’s farm. One of their pubs, ‘King Kelpie’ performed outstandingly at sheep dog trials, creating an immediate demand for pups. ‘King Kelpie’ was then mated to the old dog, ‘Moss’ and their pups proved to be impressive show and paddock dogs. Kelpies from the same gene pool continue to win shows and proved themselves to be outstanding working dogs.

A bronze statue to ‘Kelpie’ now stands in Stewart Park. The statue represents Gleeson’s dog Kelpie in a working stance, looking in the direction of her home. The ten tonne rock which it stands upon was found near ‘Bolero’. Further down Ardlethan’s main street, on Ariah Street, you’ll also find a very different version of the Kelpie by impressive scrap metal artist Andrew Whitehead.

Today, Ardlethan is officially recognised as the “Home of the Australian Kelpie”. Ardlethan shares the honour with Victorian town of Casterton, which is recognised as the ‘Birthplace of the Kelpie’. It’s believed that the first Kelpie was born near Casterton and the refinement of the breed occurred near Ardlethan.

Image 3. Photo taken by Emily Humphrey
Image 4. Photo taken by @beautybeyondthehustle. A Kelpie and his owner at the Ardlethan Show