Donkeys: AUSTRALIAN TEAMSTER DONKEY

Origin: Australia

Australian Status:

Australian Population: Thirty five breeding age registered jennies,  Eight registered jacks, Six registered geldings. Unknown feral (2021). 

Distribution: Unknown

History: There were very few donkeys in Australia in the early years. The first mention of donkeys was in 1791 when the Governor asked that donkeys be brought to Australian from the Canary Islands. It is not known if these donkeys arrived, but in 1793 the ship Shah Hormuzear arrived from Bengal with a cargo that contained 6 donkeys. Since then, quality donkeys were imported from Spain, Mexico, Chile, Malta, India, France and Asia to ensure a hardy Australian donkey that could withstand the heat and work in harsh conditions.  

To start with they were not used much, but this changed over time. By the 1890s, the donkey began to play a role in opening the Outback. Before then horses and cattle were used, but there was a native plant (the pea-bush) that was poisonous to them, causing Kimberley Walkabout Disease. The donkeys either did not eat this plant or were immune to the disease. It was also found that donkeys had stronger feet then horses, stepped more carefully, had stronger hindquarters and a greater staying power. The fact that donkeys were better adapted to life in the desert meant that they were very useful in the arid inland areas. 

Donkey Teams were harnessed up to 4 or 5 abreast and in teams of up to 20 – 40 donkeys. A team of 24 – 28 donkeys could pull a weight of up to 10 tons! They were guided by the voice of the Teamster, who walked along beside them and they could manage an average of 10 miles per day over difficult terrain. 

The Modern Australian Teamster Donkey: Up until the 1930s, these donkeys were a very important of Australia’s inland transport network, but with the increased use of automobiles they became useless. By the 1940s the teams of working donkeys were gone. Animals that were no longer needed were often turned loose. These animals are called ‘feral’ – which mean that they are a domestic animal that is no longer in captivity. Being so well adapted to the desert meant that they thrived and now number 5 million. Their hooves cause vegetation damage and erosion and spread weeds, which means that people want their numbers controlled by either trapping/mustering, aerial culling, on the ground culling or fertility control. 

Instead of seeing them as a pest, Australian Teamster enthusiasts are encouraging Australians to value their local donkey breed. There are contractors who muster donkeys from the Outback and offer them for sale. There are also a few studs who breed Teamster Donkeys. Whilst inexperienced donkey owners would not be encouraged to buy an unhandled donkey, in the right hands these formerly wild animals make fabulous pets. The Australian Teamster is now used for saddle riding, carriage driving, packing, in the show ring and as a companion animal. They are also sometimes used to guard livestock. Their solid nature makes them great as a child’s mount. 

In 2005 the name ‘Australian Teamster’ was coined by the EIDSA All Breeds Inc (now Donkey All Breeds Society of Australia) as a term that described their type, style and historic origins. The Teamster is typically a solid standard sized donkey of 11hh – 13hh with good bone and slightly bigger ears than normal. They can be any colour except broken coloured. 

The predictable chorus of "there are millions in the outback" can be countered with a rider - there are very few registered, which is what we count. Registration ensures survival to a considerable degree - being feral does not. 

Breed traits: Hardy. Intelligent. Colours of grey, black, brown, white. No broken colours.

Uses: riding, draught, driving, packing.

Breed Organisation: DABSA (Donkey All Breeds Society of Australia) DABSA.

Additional Notes: 

Top Photo:  Donkey Team (Far North). Approximately 1909. State Library of South Australia, B 10943, Photograph.

Bottom Photo:  Keysoe Mulga, wild caught Australian Teamster jack.

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