Chris the sheep after he was spotted in 2015 with what turned out to be the world’s heaviest fleece. Images of him by Canberra artist Kylie Fogarty are now on sale to help the sanctuary where he spent his last years. Photo: RSPCA ACT.
Remember Chris the sheep? The merino ram who won the hearts of Australians – and people all around the world – when he was discovered near-death in the Canberra bush in 2015, carrying more than 40kg of fleece.
The remarkable survival of Chris, who somehow escaped any association with humans, let alone a shearer with a sharp object, for much of his life, struck the hearts of everyone who heard or read about him.
One book, The Misadventures of Chris the Sheep, published as a fundraiser for RSPCA ACT which cared for him after he was found, featured stunning original artworks by Canberra’s Kylie Fogarty.
Those artworks are now being showcased in a pop-up exhibition at Aarwun Gallery at Gold Creek, with part of the proceeds going to the Little Oaks sanctuary which cared for Chris after he was shorn and until he died in 2019.
Assistant director at Aarwun Ada Zhang said the response to the pop-up exhibition had been great, with two of the works sold within days of opening.
“Everyone who has come in to the gallery recognised the story of Chris,” she said, “which is wonderful.
Chris the sheep, created by artist Kylie Fogarty, is one of the pieces for sale in the pop-up exhibition now on at the Aarwun Gallery at Gold Creek. Photo: Aarwun Gallery.
“We’ve had Kylie’s work on exhibition here before, so when she contacted us we knew we wanted to have the works here because everyone knows the story of Chris.”
She said the pop-up featured original works, ranging from a close-up of Chris complete with a full fleece, to others of him being shorn and “after” images.
Chris the sheep’s fleece is so famous it’s on display at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Photo: National Museum of Australia.
One of the country’s top shearers, Ian Elkins, was brought in to shear Chris but because of the animal’s condition, he was sedated for safety. After a marathon effort, he was relieved of 41.1 kilos of wool – the heaviest fleece ever, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Chris was adopted by Little Oaks sanctuary after his ordeal and spent his days being spoilt, greeting newcomers and waiting to have his head scratched, according to volunteers. He was estimated to be about 10-years-old when he died of natural causes.
Looking a little, well, sheepish, yet handsome in his new coat, Chris the sheep. Photo: RSPCA ACT.
Recognising the importance of the fleece, it was donated to the National Museum of Australia – after it was treated, including being frozen to rid it of insects. It is one of the star attractions at the museum’s Tim and Gina Fairfax Discovery Centre, which showcases Australia’s unique plants and animals and how people respond to the land over time.
BTW: If you were wondering why was he called Chris, he was named after the unhappy sheep on the Father Ted TV series.
The pop-up exhibition is on at the Aarwun Gallery, Gold Creek, until Wednesday, 17 July. Open daily.
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