The Dohne Merinos were initially developed to be a hardy woolled sheep that are easy care with high reproductivity and growth rate under harsh sourveld Eastern Cape conditions. Initial development took place under the leadership of Mr Koot Kotze, Director, Dohne Research Institute, Stutterheim. The initial cross between German Mutton Merino rams and Merino ewes in 1939 were used to develop the breed by means of strict scientific selection procedures to its current status of an internationally commended dual purpose breed. The Breed Society was formed with a small population of approximately only 2500 ewes in 1966 with the first president Mr. R.O. Le Roux and manager Mr. Noël Geach. Important events on the society’s time line include: Compulsory performance testing for all breeders; Abolishment of shows; Implementation of Sire Referencing and EBV’s. The export of embryos to Australia and the Falkland Islands that led to the establishment of breed societies in Australia and eventually Uruguay, were major milestones in the more recent history of the Dohne Merino.