History of the Club
On 8 November 1968 a meeting of interested fanciers met to form the Shaggy Dog Club and minutes of the 1st meeting show that from the very start our club was formed " for the betterment of the breed and to socially bring people together".
The minutes list 18 persons attending with 23 recorded apologies. The meeting agreed to form the Old English Sheepdog Club of Victoria and an application was lodged with the Kennel Control Council of Victoria (KCC) for affiliation on 18 November 1968.
The number of members grew to 95 by October 1969 and a concerted effort was made by everyone to have as many OES as possible entered at the Royal Melbourne Show in an attempt to demonstrate to the KCC that the number of OES were steadily increasing and participating in conformation shows.
On 19 August 1970 the KCC approved the Club's application for affiliation.
The Club continued to grow from strength to strength reaching an all time high in membership of 600 by 1976/77. The Club became so active it had to form a number of committees, each comprising around a dozen or so members, just to keep up with the workload.
The Club was abuzz with activity and was arguably recognized by the then Kennel Control Council of Victoria as one of the more robust and active clubs.
Today the Club's membership is not as robust and whilst the numbers are smaller in comparison to those halcyon years, the devotion and love of our wonderful breed is never in doubt and exemplified by all who come into contact with this beautiful breed.
For a more detailed account of the Old English Sheepdog Club of Victoria, a life member of the Club has written and published a hard copy, beautifully presented and illustrated book. This exceptional publication should be in most libraries and is available for purchase from the Club for those interested. Copies can be obtained by contacting Wayne Fleming on 0402 784 848 or by email at [email protected].