Kangaroo Island Wool traceable Merino garments

In 2011, two Kangaroo Island veterinarians Greg Johnsson and Deb Lehmann teamed up with local woolgrowers to form Kangaroo Island Wool, a company originally set up to market the best of the Island’s wool to discerning international buyers.

Kangaroo Island Wool builds on the long history of wool-growing on the Island which began in 1836, and is dedicated to maintaining the long-held reputation of its wool for quality.

Through regular monitoring and reporting, Kangaroo Island Wool says it works hard to ensure that best practice management is maintained by the company and its woolgrowers regarding, for example, sheep health and welfare, producing a quality fibre, and care for environment.

Today, the company is owned by 23 farming and veterinary families, who collectively grow about one third of the Island’s total wool and 40% of its fine Merino wool.

Kangaroo Island Wool products

The Hanson Bay Wrap (above) and the Willson Rib Beanie (top image) all made from 100% superfine Merino wool from by Kangaroo Island Wool.

As the tourism industry on Kangaroo Island began to flourish in recent years, Kangaroo Island Wool saw an increased level of interest from visitors in the Island’s farming. Recognising there was a demand for Island-grown wool garments, the company set up a wool mill to process its farmers’ raw wool and manufacture it into garments and accessories.

It now produces a range of products, all crafted from 100% superfine Merino wool. Everything in the showroom is knitted on Kangaroo Island and Kangaroo Island Wool is now proudly processing wool from its owners, from scouring to yarn onsite. Only the very best portion of the total wool clip is devoted to the production of the Kangaroo Island Wool range of products. The company can trace the wool from its Island home all the way through production.

The company’s garments currently include a wrap, poncho, jumper, vest and T-shirt, and accessories including a scarf, beanie, mittens and headband. Knitting yarn is also available to purchase. A recent addition to its range is a unique blanket featuring a unique Kangaroo-inspired intarsia design.

All the products are knitted on Kangaroo Island, most recently using a newly purchased Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT^® knitting machine that enables the production of seamless garments.

The company also retails premium quality quilts, filled with pure fine Merino wool from the Island, which are manufactured in Melbourne.

Mill tours and showroom

Since January 2024, the company has run guided tours of its working wool mill to increase the profile of the company and to connect consumers to the origin of the wool fibre.

The immersive 75-minute mill tour starts with an impressive cinematic experience hosted in Australia’s only nine-metre 360° ‘igloo dome’. Inside the dome, visitors virtually view wool-growing farms, the inside of a working shearing shed, and explore the history of Kangaroo Island from its early settlers through to today’s woolgrowers.

After this one-of-a-kind experience in the dome, visitors embark on a fully guided tour through the working mill, from the scouring of raw fibre through to the knitting of finished garments. Two tours are held daily and bookings are essential.

Alongside its mill, Kangaroo Island Wool also has a showroom that stocks its wool products available to purchase. All its products are also available to buy online via its website.

More information: www.kangarooislandwool.com

This article appeared in the Autumn 2025 edition of AWI’s Beyond the Bale magazine that was published in March 2025. Reproduction of the article is encouraged.