Australian ‘Teamster’ Donkeys
evolved from Donkeys were mainly introduced into Australia in the nineteenth
century, especially for use in the hot, dry, harsh interior of the continent.
Donkeys in Australia had a mixture of blood from British as well as Nubian and
Arabian strains, all of which were imported into the country in the early
period of European settlement.
With the increasing use of
mechanized transport, donkeys largely outlived their usefulness, and many were
released, forming feral herds in outback areas.
When there was an upsurge in
interest in donkeys in New Zealand around in the 1980’s, a number of these
Australian feral animals were imported into this New Zealand, where they are
generally just called ‘Australian’ donkeys. This event marked the beginning of
a donkey revival in New Zealand.