[WOOL] ""Sang-Bleu"", merino bred on Fairlie Grange stud near Jerilderie in the New South Wales Riverina, circa 1920.

Gelatin silver print photograph, 86 x 133 mm, printed on postcard stock; recto with contemporary manuscript caption in fountain pen ""Sang-Bleu"" bred on with FAIRLIE GRANGE wet-stamped beside the inscription; in excellent condition. The highly successful Fairlie Grange merino stud was established in the last years of the nineteenth century. The property was located near Jerilderie in the New South Wales Riverina, but the family-run business had for many decades a close connection with Central Queensland. The following article appeared in the Longreach Leader (Qld.) 4 May 1940. 'FAIRLIE GRANGE. The Fairlie Grange Stud, owned by Messrs. S. E. Donelan & Sons, was formed by the present owners, and the main portion of the parent stud has been mated, controlled and classed by the late Mr. S. E. Donelan and his sons for the past 44 years. The stud ancestors were bred by Peppin & Sons, of Wanganella, 35 years before, in 1861, and the pedigrees of many of the sires trace back to rams that still hold Australian records. The late Mr. Donelan began his Queensland experience on Wellshot in 1895 with the late Mr. Alf Dowling. The uniformity and evenness of fleece of Fairlie Grange rams, coupled with their splendid constitutions, enabling them to withstand the hard conditions of the Western grazing country, and with their potency and ability to transmit all their very fine qualities. to their progeny, stamp them as a ram very suited to the varying conditions encountered in Queensland. A splendid example of the wool growing qualities of the Fairlie Grange rams is shown by results obtained by a number of sale rams sent to Longreach in August of 1934. There were 50 rams in the draft, selected flock rams, dropped 1931. These rams were shorn and the clip aver aged 181bs. wool per head. This wool was unclassed and sent in that state to Dalgety & Co. Ltd., Brisbane, for sale. It was sold in November to 22d. per lb. giving a return of £1/5/7 per head. On the same day as this wool was sold the top price for greasy wool was 231d., and that clip would, of course, be classed. This is an achievement well worth recording, and Donelan & Sons claim it as a world's record for ram's wool, unclassed, to come within 11/2d. of the top price in a 5,000 to 7,000 bale offering. A draft of Fairlie Grange rams will be offered at Thursday's sale. Owing to the recent death of the late Mr. S. E. Donelan, no representative of the stud will be at the sales, but all particulars may be obtained from the Longreach Ram Sellers, or from the stud direct at Jerilderie, New South Wales.'