The 14.8 Micron Legacy: How Our Family Pioneered Luxury Merino Wool

 

A recent three-hour flight delay at Armidale Airport turned into a beautiful trip down memory lane. As I sat with my dad, John, and my stepmother, Barbara, waiting for our plane back to Tasmania, we began talking about their history on Black Mountain—our old family farm in the New England High Country of New South Wales. Listening to them share their story was a powerful reminder of how true innovation begins.

While their journey on the land started years ago, their venture into sheep farming began with a sudden decision to take advantage of extra grass during a remarkably good season. Dad went to a sale at a property called Terrible Vale near Uralla, intending to buy just a few ewes to see how they would fare on the heavy basalt soils of Black Mountain. However, because the ewes were only being sold in large mobs of 150, his intended small purchase quickly turned into a much bigger commitment.

 

Barbara Ross poses with their new farm puppy Belle, in front of their flock of Saxon sheep. Old Belmont 1993

 

These Saxon-type merino sheep were smaller than anything else in the district, and local farmers initially dismissed them as unattractive and unproductive. Yet, they possessed a hidden superpower: an incredibly fine fleece, discovered at a time when the rest of the district was growing much broader micron wool.

Smart Farming and Shed Teamwork

At that time, New Zealanders were beginning to test the micron levels on every merino—a tool that gave them a distinct marketing edge. Unable to afford the expensive automated drafting systems used in New Zealand to sort different micron ranges, John and Barbara came up with an ingenious, low-tech system of their own.

Their process began with the side sample, which involved ear-tagging every sheep at birth and then cutting a wool sample about the size of a small mobile phone from the side of each animal a few weeks before shearing. They posted these samples to a laboratory in Queensland to map out the exact micron count and prickle factor for every individual ear tag.

John Ross and Neil Mitilian in the shearing shed, Old Belmont 2009

When it came time for shearing, the teamwork truly came together. The shearer would call out the sheep’s number, and Barbara would look it up on the lab sheets, all while keeping the crew happy and well-fed with fresh baking from the kitchen. Provided it met strict criteria for length, strength, and color, the wool was instantly sorted into the correct premium fiber lines.

This testing gave them a distinct financial advantage because no one else in the district was doing it. By completely disproving old myths about judging wool purely by eye, their work sparked massive arguments and generational divisions between local families who disagreed with this new scientific approach.

Facing the Elements

Flock numbers grew rapidly, and they learned firsthand how deeply weather and animal health impact a fleece in the New England High Country. If a sheep faced a bad season or the stress of lambing, the wool diameter could change, creating a “break” in the fibre.

John and Barbara’s flock of Saxon Merino Sheep, Old Belmont 2000

However, by carefully selecting ewes that were genetically fine yet still grew sound wool, they were able to produce fibres that reached up to 50 Nkt—making them as strong as steel. This ultra-fine, soft, and tight-crimped style of lightweight wool became highly sought after for premium Italian suiting, eventually ending up in high-end garments for international luxury fashion houses.

A New Chapter: Community and Garden Dedication

John and Barbara no longer own the farm, but their passion for growing and nurturing remains as strong as ever. They have taken on the creation and maintenance of several public gardens in their small town of Guyra, working tirelessly alongside others to improve amenities in the local area.

 

Community spirit shines through memorial garden Guyra Gazette 2026

While they now cultivate the earth through flowers and plants rather than fleeces, their lifelong dedication remains deeply inspiring. It is that exact passion for next-to-skin softness, scientific testing, and the pursuit of that precious 14.8-micron level of excellence that we strive to honour and connect with today in our own work at Bluey Merino.

 

Andrew Ross