The Colonial Percy Island goats have unique DNA and are recognised as a heritage breed by the Australian All Breeds of Miniature Goat & Sheep Society Inc. and the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.
How the goats came to Percy
The goats were introduced to the island by the Royal Navy in 1874. Staff Commander Bedwell of HM schooner Pearl was given the mission of leaving goats and planting coconuts and other edible fruits from the Brisbane Botanic Gardens along the east coast and its islands, to provide food for vessels plying the Queensland coast.
European settlement followed, and for over 130 years the island’s residents used the goats for meat, milk and skins, for themselves and for visitors. The first domesticated herd was recorded by the island’s first leaseholders, Jimmy Joss, Mason and Smith. When Andy Martin arrived in 1964 and the sheep market declined, he turned to managing the rangeland goats, once again providing food and skins for passing mariners. The custodians still keep up the tradition of a goat curry shared at the A-frame. Read more about the island’s families on the History page.
Managing the herd
Hunting is not permitted. Only the residents may manage the numbers of goats (and introduced marsupials), to protect the environment from overgrazing. Goats and kangaroos are selected by age and sex, and culling is carried out in a practical, controlled way in specific areas of the island, well away from bushwalkers.