The Australian Terrier

Just came across some interesting facts about the Australian Terrier (whose genes are in  our silky terriers).

Firstly, I am guessing that the rough terrier, first exhibited in the first Canine Exhibition on 12th November, 1862, was the fore-runner of the Australian Terrier.   There were 18 rough terriers exhibited at that first show.   Quite a lot really, considering the total entries.
So in search of the first show where the soft or silky coated terrier first appeared, I found the following:-
in the Mercury dated 27 March, 1890

THE AUSTRALIAN TERRIER

 The "doggy world" is excited just now over the Australian terrier.  This is a wiry-haired little animal that has been evolved in the colony.  Mr. Coupe, the judge at the Victorian dog shows, declares him to be a mongrel, and has a real John Hull kind of contempt for him.   But, to the horror of Mr. Coupe and all his friends,  Lord Hopetoun has actually bought two of the breed, and everyone is anxious to know if he is going to exhibit them, and if he does whether the uncompromising Mr. Coupe will turn them out of the ring as he has always done hitherto.  Dog fancying in Melbourne is progressing vastly.  

However, in the Mercury, 22 August, 1895 at the Tasmanian Poultry and Dog Society Show there were 8 Blue and Tan or Sandy Rough Terrier entries.   So it would seem that 5 years hence, the Australian Terrier was still being names Rough Terrier, but with the addition of Sandy, not seen before.  

So then jump ahead to 1903 at the Kempton Poultry and Farm Produce Society Show, held on the 19th August, 1903 the entries were named Blue and Tan Terrier (dropping the term Rough).

I hope by my next post I will have found some soft/silky coated terriers in the show ring in Tasmania.