Illawarra Shorthorn
A large red Australian dairy breed, horned, docile and long-lived
The Illawarra Shorthorn is a large-framed, horned dairy breed from Australia, mostly red with some white or roan animals. It is named after Illawarra in New South Wales and is thought to descend from Ayrshire, Devon and Dairy Shorthorn cattle, and it is kept for milk rich in butterfat and protein.
- An Australian dairy breed named after the Illawarra district of New South Wales
- Thought to descend from Ayrshire, Devon and Dairy Shorthorn cattle
- Mostly red, with some white or roan animals; horned and large-framed
- 2010 breed average: 6,733 litres of milk, 3.95% butterfat, 3.29% protein
- Cattle, embryos and semen exported to many countries, from Canada to Indonesia
What do Illawarra Shorthorn cattle look like?
The Illawarra Shorthorn is a large-framed Australian dairy breed, and it is horned. Its coat is mostly red; white and roan animals, roan being a mixture of red and white hair, also occur. The frame is big, built to graze pasture and carry a heavy lactation rather than to lay down beef. Cows are quiet and long-lived, easy to handle in the dairy and at shows. Breeding has concentrated on milk with plenty of butterfat and protein rather than on size for its own sake.
Where does the Illawarra Shorthorn come from?
The breed belongs to Australia and is named after Illawarra, a district in New South Wales. It is thought to have come about by crossing the Ayrshire, the Devon and the Dairy Shorthorn. The name began as Australian Illawarra Shorthorn and was later shortened, first to Illawarra Shorthorn and then often simply to Illawarra. From those mixed beginnings it settled into a pasture dairy breed suited to Australian conditions.
What the Illawarra Shorthorn is known for
Docility is the breed's strongest talking point. Illawarras are quiet cows, easy to move and easy to milk, which is why they are used as handling cattle at shows. They are also long-lived, staying in the herd for many lactations. They cope with heat above 40°C and with frost below freezing, so they suit places where the weather swings. They are good at turning pasture into milk and need little extra feed, which has helped the breed spread.
How the Illawarra Shorthorn is bred and kept
Illawarra cattle are bred and milked mostly on pasture, under the Australian production system that the breed's milk records come from. Selection goes for litres of milk with high butterfat and protein. The breed has a society in Australia, and live cattle, embryos and semen have been sent to many countries, among them Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Central America, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands.
Illawarra Shorthorn, drawn
What the Illawarra Shorthorn is kept for
This is a dairy breed, kept for milk rather than beef or draught. In an official test in 1998, Illawarra cows in Australia's pasture system averaged 4,829 litres each, with a little over 4% butterfat and 3.4% protein. By the 2010 Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Report the breed average had reached 6,733 litres, with 3.95% butterfat and 3.29% protein. The high fat and protein content of the milk is the breed's selling point, and the animals are also shown, being easy to handle at shows.
The land and climate of the Illawarra Shorthorn
Illawarras are grazing cattle and do best on pasture. They stand weather above 40°C and weather below freezing, so they are not confined to one climate. That tolerance of a wide range of conditions is part of why the breed grew. They also make good use of what they are given and need little supplementary feeding, which suits farms where bought-in feed is limited.
At a glance: where it belongs
Land and climate
Celebrations
The Illawarra Shorthorn at fairs and festivals
Illawarra cattle are shown at agricultural shows, and their calm temperament makes them straightforward to lead and handle in the ring. Handlers value them as show cattle for exactly that reason: they stand quietly, walk out without fuss and are easy to work with among a crowd of people and other animals.
Keeping Illawarra Shorthorn cattle
Illawarra cows are undemanding to keep. They make the most of the feed in front of them and need little supplementary feeding, which suits a pasture system. Handling is simple, because the breed is docile and easy to work with in the dairy. They stand both heat above 40°C and frost below freezing, and they are noted for longevity in the herd.
Numbers, conservation and the herd book
The breed has its own society in Australia. Registered cattle, embryos and semen have travelled widely: to Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, and also to Central America, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands. Herd improvement figures show what the cows give rather than how many there are, with the 2010 report putting the breed average at 6,733 litres of milk, 3.95% butterfat and 3.29% protein.
From the Illawarra Shorthorn
Questions people ask about Illawarra Shorthorn
Where does the Illawarra Shorthorn come from?
Australia. It is named after Illawarra, a district in New South Wales, and its full early name was Australian Illawarra Shorthorn. Its exact beginnings are not documented, but it is thought to come from crossing Ayrshire, Devon and Dairy Shorthorn cattle.
What is the Illawarra Shorthorn kept for?
Milk. It is a dairy breed, not a beef or draught breed. In an official Australian test in 1998, cows averaged 4,829 litres with just over 4% butterfat and 3.4% protein. By the 2010 herd improvement report the average was 6,733 litres, 3.95% butterfat and 3.29% protein.
What do Illawarra cattle look like?
They are large-framed and horned. The coat is mostly red, and some animals are white or roan, which is a mix of red and white hair. They are pasture cattle, built to carry a heavy milk yield while grazing.
What is their temperament like?
Very docile. Illawarras are easy to work with in the dairy and are used as handling cattle at shows. They are also noted for longevity, staying in the herd for many years, and they cope with heat above 40°C as well as frost below freezing.
Where have Illawarra cattle been exported?
Cattle, embryos and semen have gone to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand, as well as Central America, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Illawarra Shorthorn", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryCow rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Sizes, colours and customs differ from one herd, valley or breeder to the next. Folk beliefs are described as tradition, never as advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-16.
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