Mr. Malcolm’s Ostrich Farm, South Australia.

Rare engraved image of ostrich farming in Australia. This farm was set up near Port Augusta by W. Malcolm.

In 1881 W. Malcom established the Barossa Ostrich farm with 7 adult birds from M. Bowman of Port Wakefield and 3 adult and 13 young birds from South Africa. Later, W. Malcolm formed `The Malcolm Ostrich Company’ in partnership with Francis Bignell at a site north of Port Augusta. The company flock was enlarged by the importation of a further 94 birds from South Africa, but soon after, in 1885, the partners sold their business. It then became the ‘South Australian Ostrich Company’ with the major shareholders being J.B. Cudmore, J.H. Angus, T.R. Bowman and J.M. Anderson. The company was formally wound up in 1916 and almost three hundred birds were moved to Priors Farm at McLaren Vale south of Adelaide. In 1926 all the stock were sold to a circus, marking the end of an important facet of ostrich farming in Australia. Fortunately however, birds were purchased contemporaneously by other potential ostrich farmers throughout Australia. By 1913, J. Barracluff of South Head, Sydney had one hundred birds. In 1900, a pair of ostriches was placed at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College and their feathers won a gold medal at a Franco-British Exhibition. In 1905, Cairnes of Nardoo, and Sanderson of Gilgandra started a company

From the original edition of The Australasian Sketcher.