THE CARDIGAN WELSH CORGI IN
AUSTRALIA Part I When Mr and Mrs W.J. Lewis of Fishguard in Wales,
migrated from the UK in 1954 to begin a new life in Western Australia, two Welsh Corgi
Cardigan dogs and three bitches accompanied them. These five imports of sound
lineage were later bred with the progeny from another two British imports to New Zealand
and provided the foundation for the breed in
Australia. It was from the five founding dogs, that the first Australian Cardigans were
bred under the Lewis' soon to be well-known
"Lewdux" prefix. The first five imports included
the dogs, Ch. Hannaford Rudie (Imp UK); and Ch. Hannaford Nikki (Imp UK) and the bitches,
all bred by the Lewis', comprised three sisters, Ch. Morfudd of Lewdux (Imp UK); and
Myfanwy of Lewdux (Imp UK) and Menna of Lewdux (Imp UK). The former bitch Ch.Morfudd, was
extensively shown and therefore did much to help promote
the breed in Australia. This versatile
Welsh lass must have also been busy in
the whelping box, as she was the dam of Ch.
Lewdux Ceinwen Bach, Ch Lewdux Gelert, Ch. Lewdux Angharad and Ch. Lewdux Teifi Fach plus
others. It has been said that Menna
unfortunately received an injury from a Kangaroo Dog. (An early Australian breed which
has now vanished, known as a formidable and
fast hunting dog, often brindle in colour and built along hound lines. It was bred by the
early Australian pioneers to run down and capture Kangaroos.) Myfanwy, although not exhibited
apparently through having lost her teeth, nonetheless bred on through her daughter by Ch.
Hannaford Nikki, Ch Lewdux Megan Fach. In 1956 another import bitch
arrived to further strengthen the Lewis' lines.
Ch. Hannaford Elkay Lowri (Imp UK) also bred on well, her presence adding to the
foundation stock of this influential kennel and consolidating the foundation that led to
it's future success. In Western Australia new kennels
became established using progeny from the
Lewis' breeding programme. They included Mr W. Preston (Prestonia) and Miss D. Deverall
(Dinas) who had Ch. Lewdux Teifi Fach. Later Miss E.N. Dick imported the
only English champion Cardigan to come to either Australia or New Zealand. Eng Ch. Parmel Dambuster (Imp UK). Dambuster unfortunately was little used at stud
although only six years old when he arrived. Perhaps
it was due to the tyranny of distance in those earlier times and it is a shame he did not
stand at stud in the eastern states of Australia, where he would have been accessible to
more breeders. VICTORIA The first Cardigans to arrive in
Victoria were purchased by Miss L. Wood in 1956.
Miss Wood founded her Woodruffe strain on Ch. Lewdux Ceinwen Bach, later adding two
imports from New Zealand, the litter brother and sister, Ch. West Country Twm Shion Catti
(Imp NZ) and Ch. West Country Mari Lwyd Lawen (Imp NZ).
The latter were whelped on 6 May 1953 from Mrs Anderson's (NZ) imports, NZ Ch. Binder of Greenfarm (Imp UK) and
NZ Ch. Kentwood Fflur (Imp UK). To these foundations in 1956 Miss Wood also added another
import, a brindle male Ch. Edlev's Danny Boy (Imp UK). NEW SOUTH WALES The Cardigan presence in NSW
commenced with another Lewdux bitch, Lewdux Curigwen Bach, a sister of Ch.Lewdux Ceinwen Bach in Victoria. Owner Mrs G. Davies Hanson of
Inverall in NSW founded the breed in that state when Curigwen produced a litter containing
Ch. Dwyrd Dylan Dyner, which has the honour of being the first Cardigan shown in
Queensland and also the first champion. Later
Dylan was bred back to his dam and a pup from this litter also made it's way to
Queensland. One of Australia's better known
early Cardigan kennels, was Mrs V.B. West's Westavon kennel situated at Epping in NSW. Founded on Victorian bred Ch. Woodruffe Llwydwyn
and also later purchases, Ch. Lewdux Adwyth plus two NZ imports, Ch. West Country Dewin
(Imp NZ) and West Country Y Brython (Imp NZ) - the latter being an iid pup from a British
import. An influential import in his time
was Ch. Beckrow Barona Doubtful (Imp UK). Bred
by Sandra Tonkyn (UK) and imported by the partnership of Mrs J. Georgiou and Mrs A.
Schofield, the tricolour "Barclay" became the sire of over 30 champions. In 1983 Mrs Georgiou imported Beckrow Baronet (Imp UK) and he also had
a subsequent influence as a sire. Under her Rhossili prefix, Mrs Georgiou bred the first Australian
Champion Cardigan to be exported to the UK, Ch. Rhossili Itsa Special, which later won her English title and also the CC at Crufts in
1983. QUEENSLAND Mrs L. Seaton exhibited the
previously mentioned Ch. Dwyrd Dylan Dyner for his breeder, Mrs Hanson of NSW but also
owned the brindle and white Ch. Lewdux Olwena, by Ch. Hannaford Nikki (Imp UK) out of Ch.
Hannaford Elkay Lowri (Imp UK). Olwena was
the first champion Cardigan bitch in Queensland and won at the Brisbane Royal Show in
1960. Mrs Seaton also had the red/white male, Lewdux Idwal by Ch. Lewdux Dewin out of Ch.
Morfudd of Lewdux (Imp UK). The first Queensland born litter
arrived courtesy of Mrs J. Perkins' Alphon prefix in 1963.
Sired by Ch. Kentwood Fronwen (Imp UK) ex Tapylyn Gay Vicky. Under the Alphon prefix Mrs Perkins produced many
champions and also imported from NZ, Ch. West Country Max (Imp NZ) - by NZ Ch. Parmel
Barman (Imp UK) ex yet another British import, Ch. Bridgemont Bridgette (Imp UK). Another NZ import was Ch. West Country
Patric (Imp NZ) sired by Ch. West Country Merich but also out of Ch. Bridgemont Bridgette
(Imp UK). TASMANIA Once again it was Lewdux stock
from Western Australia to found the Cardiganshire Welsh Corgi in Tasmania when Mrs.
Clennett from Hobart imported and exhibited Lewdux Owen Glyncor. SOUTH AUSTRALIA The first Cardigan to title in
South Australia was Ch. Trajon Sherree Anne (Trajon Earl Sharon ex Ch. Westavon
Enchantress) which was also the foundation of the Ellis' Eltania lines. A bitch from her litter to Dyfed Red Hugh
named Eltania Misty Lea, started off Mr &
Mrs G. Eastgate's Leamore kennel. The
Eastgates also owned the British import, Dilwel Syr Alec (Imp UK). Mrs Nan Green of Cambrian Kennels
was one early fancier of the breed in South Australia.
Together with Mrs F. Hutchinson (Bellbeau) they imported the influential dog, Ch.
Jezalin Fanfare of Dilwel (Imp UK). CANBERRA The Cardigan conquest of Canberra
was to commence with Westavon Laddie (by West Country Y Brython (Imp NZ) ex Ch. Westavon
Dorita Fach) and Tygqyn Bubbles (by West Country Y Brython (Imp NZ) ex Westavon Roleta
Fach), owned by Mr and Mrs R. Tyrie (Marbon). The first Cardigan champion in
Canberra was Ch. Westavon Dilys Fach owned by J.D. and Mrs B. Johnston, of Corlan kennels.
PROGRESSIVE RETINAL ATROPHY (PRA) Breeders in Australia and New
Zealand were devastated when this disease appeared amongst the Cardigan breed seemingly
without warning. PRA was first reported in
1966 and subsequently groups of breeders worked together under the auspices of the Welsh
Corgi Club of NSW, to investigate and report on the disease. To their credit, whilst unable to completely
eradicate PRA from the gene pool at that time, the breeders worked alongside a scientific
liaison team and managed to curtail the incidence of the disease to the point where it no
longer posed a serious threat to the breed. The issue was a very emotional one
at the time and as always with such things, the problems were not sorted out without a
certain degree of heartbreak. There followed
the loss of some breeders and some dogs, but the remainder re-gathered and with loyalty
and stoicism, pressed on with the Cardigan breed and into the future. THE BASIS - THE IMPORTS AND THEIR
INFLUENCES While some previous mention of some imports has been
made, the list is far from comprehensive and space has not permitted mention of all. For a detailed overview, full credit must be given
to Mr John Johnston for his research as detailed in his wonderful publication,
"Corgis In Australia". Mr
Johnston, by tracing all of the British Cardigans imported into Australia and New Zealand,
discovered that only a very small number of dogs and bitches have formed the foundation
stock for both.Basically, only four male lines and seven female lines were involved and
these were: Male Line
Female Line Bob Llwyd
Cassie Cochyn Bach
Crynllys Mon
Mydrin Bloom Fairy Fielder Quito Spin Y Draig Goch Johnston says: "Although the
dog Mon was the ancestor in the direct male
line of Aust Ch. Hannaford Nikki, no present day Cardigan is known to descend from Mon in the direct male line, so that line appears
to have died out in this part of the world. Similarly,
the families of Quito and Spin do not appear these days, as these bitches
were the ancestors of male dogs.." (i.e. The direct female line was
not passed on.) Johnston's evaluation also
suggests that the combination, which proved most successful from these early lines was of
Bob Llwyd stock put to the female line of Y Draig Goch. The Cardigan stock imported from
the UK included that from well-known kennels and included:
(Male-Female lines in brackets.) Aust.Ch. Beckrow Barona Doubtful, Beckrow Baronet and Beckrow Blue Fire ( from the sire line of Bob Llwyd and the
dam line of Crynllys) Dilwel Peter and Dilwel Syr Alec
(Bob Llwyd-Cassie) Aust Ch.Hannaford Elkay Lowri (Bob
Llwyd-Cassie ) and Aust Ch.Hannaford Rudie (Bob Llyd-Quito), also Aust Ch. Hannaford Nikki
(Mon-Cassie) Aust Ch. Jezalin Fanfare of Dilwel
(Bob Llwyd-Crynllys) Jezalin Phoenix of Joseter (Bob
Llwyd-Crynllys) Jezalin Top Secret (Bob
Llwyd-Quito) Four Cardigans were imported from
the UK Kentwood kennel, three of the Bob Llwyd-Omar lines and one of Cochyn Bach-Omar
lines. Three Parmels, NZ Ch. Parmel Barman (Bob Llwyd-Cassie) and
Eng/Aust Ch. Parmel Dambuster and NZ Ch. Parmel Debonair (Bob Llwyd-Crynllys). Other UK kennels represented in
these imports up to 1985 included Rhiwelli, Ringinglow, Robgwen, Rozavel and Vennwoods. From these early beginnings, the
Cardigan Welsh Corgi breed successfully established itself throughout Australia. For a more in-depth explanation of how this was
achieved up to 1985, the reader is referred to John Johnston's excellent and well
researched book, "Corgis In Australia" which along with breed club publications,
was used as a partial reference for these notes.With grateful thanks to Mr John Johnston,
for his permission to use his book as a valuable source of information for this
educational website. Subsequent to the arrival of those
first imports in 1954 and up until 1985, many successful breeders and kennels were
established. In total far too many to
completely list here and with the inherent danger of leaving someone out, that task will
not even be attempted. Lois Evans Cardigems Cardigan Welsh Corgis Western Australia |