The Australian Teamster Donkey: Heritage, Management and Future

Donkeys are not native to Australia. However, the early colonists needed beasts of burden to assist them with opening up the interior and resupplying remote outback stations. From the earliest days of the colony, donkeys were imported from the Americas, Asia and Europe. From this mix a unique donkey breed was developed that was suited for the harsh Australian environment. The rise of mechanisation eventually made them useless though, and many were turned loose and forgotten.

In the modern era, strong pastoral interests and the growth of the conservation movement have led to free-roaming donkeys being seen as a pest and often maligned.

Will there be a future that has the Australian Teamster Donkey in it?