“Committed to breeding an ethical, sustainable, profitable Merino suited to Australian conditions.”
The Outback Merino
A Willera Merino is bred to be climate resilient, highly productive and meets strict ethical standards suitable in domestic and global markets.
Our ambition has always been to breed an animal which can tolerate a harsh and variable Australian climate, as well as meet the growing community need for assurance that animals are ethically raised with consideration to the natural environment.
Our animals have genetic origins from the Australian outback and thrive in Australian conditions.
A Willera Merino is an open-faced poll, with a wrinkle free neck and long bulky wool with the potential to shear twice annual, turn off wether lambs 22-26 kg in 10 months and join ewe lambs at 9 months of age.
The Outback Merino helps refine the flock and increase on farm profitability.
Family Owned & Operated
Established in 1980, Willera Merinos is now into the fifth generation of Australian Merino Breeders, innovation keeping the family on the land for almost half a century.
Today, the Hooke family continues to build a proud legacy across a footprint of more than 16,000ha in Victoria and New South Wales.
With an eye on the future, the family and team are committed to ensuring all farming decisions consider people, the environment, quality, and ethical animal production.
A proud family legacy which spans more than four decades.
"Land conservation and biodiversity is an important part of our farming business, a high-quality natural environment critical to our ability to raise high quality animals."
Sustainability in action
Investing in data, technology and people are the foundations of Willera Merino's On-Farm Sustainability Strategy.
To assist with ongoing planning, and to ensure sustainability is at the forefront of our business practice, we use the ZQRX program.
The ZQRX is a wool sourcing program for ethical wool grown using regenerative farming principles. The ZQRX index was developed by The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) and reaches across 15 Key Performance Indicators, split into three categories: environment, animals, and people. For Willera, we use the ZQRX Index to help guide our on farm practices, giving us evidence we are moving in the right direction towards a more regenerative farming system, and understand how our practice aligns to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Willera Merino’s has a desire to move to greater than 8 on the index across all categories and believe in our role in building a sustainable future for all as custodians of land and country.
'Sangus Creek’ - Willera Merinos Main Office
443 Old Boort Road Serpentine, VIC
'Wadalla' - Willera Poll Merino Stud
1072 Old Boort Road, Bears Lagoon, VIC
'Woongarra'
922 Auchmore Road Serpentine, VIC
'Kangertong'
1045 Kangertong Road Hawkesdale, VIC
'Willera Homestead'
100 Creek View Road Serpentine, VIC
'Wargum Station'
1495 Wargam Road, Booroorban, NSW
'Serpentine Park'
100 Creek View Road Serpentine, VIC