Noonbarra Kelpies

The Noonbarra Kelpie Stud is a small, family run, Australian Working Kelpie Stud in NSW. Australia. We are one of the longest established breeders and very well respected, both in Australia and internationally. The Noonbarra Stud is fully registered with the Working Kelpie Council of Australia. (WKC).

Over the past 40 years, Noonbarra Kelpies have become one of the best known and most successful Kelpie Studs in Australia, despite us only breeding small numbers compared to many Kelpie Studs. We have always preferred to stay a small Stud and keep everything hands-on just by our family to ensure we get the quality we want.

Over many years of breeding these wonderful dogs, our Noonbarra Kelpies have been very successful in nearly every field of endeavour, including, Yard Dog Trials, Obedience competition, commercial mustering wild goats, TV & film work, Droving work, Frisbee competitions, Therapy dogs, Agility competition, Arena three sheep dog Trials, Rescue dogs, Cattlework, Flyball, Utility Sheepdog Trials and more....

We have sold our Australian Working Kelpies all over Australia including Tasmania, Western Australia and Northern Territory as well as around the World to countries that include Sweden, United States of America, New Zealand, Belgium, Norway, Hong Kong, Croatia, Japan, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Russia, Singapore, Hungary and Germany.

Our family has been associated with breeding and training Australian Kelpies for over 100 years. We are 3rd generation family of breeders & trainers. We are authors of five books on dogs. Stephen also works as a professional dog trainer and behaviourist on all breeds. We still breed on the best of the old Kelpie bloodlines and all our dogs go strongly back to the renowned Kalari Kelpies and are direct descendents of the great Kelpies of the 1800's such as Quinn's Coil, Tully's Moss and Gleeson's Kelpie.

The Noonbarra Kelpies are renowned for being extremely versatile and have proved themselves to be exceptional dogs with Cattle, Sheep, Goats, Alpacas and other livestock on farms and Stations from as little as 2 or 3 acres to more than 1,000,000 (million) acres!

Our Kelpies have also increasingly been sold as wonderful companions to families in cities and suburbs where they have excelled as faithful, loving ... and often a little spoiled, pets.

Customer Comments

"She is a wonderful dog. I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am with her. You guys did a great job of picking the perfect dog for me. - Noonbarra Ruthless .

"Her ability to work, to be in the right place at the right time has happened so often it is uncanny. To me she is the 'one in a lifetime' great bitch/dog that one owns." - Noonbarra Bonny

"Indy is a gem. Best dog I've ever seen. He picks things up so easily it astounds me and challenges me to try and teach him more complex tricks and commands ... Things are still going absolutely fantastic. - Noonbarra Indy II

"A dog owner couldn't ask for a friendlier little soul to share their life with - she is a credit to you and the dogs that you are breeding. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful friend. " [Noonbarra Frankie in S.A.]

"Tina (III) was one of the few great females I've ever owned. I used her around the shearing sheds and a lot of shearing contractors wanted to buy her.". - Noonbarra Tina III

"If someone offered me a million dollars for her she wouldn't be for sale, I love her very much and I'm pretty sure the way she looks at me that the feeling is mutual." - Noonbarra Tally, Victoria Australia.

"Bonnie goes out to pick up the paper when it is delivered 3 times a week." - Noonbarra Bonnie

"One of the reasons we got Indy was I wanted a running companion. She is going well and I couldn't have asked for a more suitable puppy". - Noonbarra Indy III

When I picked him up from your place, you predicted (Mary) that I would have a “very handsome dog”. Well, he certainly is that. When I take him for walks, people quite often stop to tell me what a good looking dog I have got. – In the evenings, when the work is done, and I am watching TV, he usually lies down on his mat next to my chair, but sometimes he comes closer and rests his head on my feet. That’s how I know he loves me, even if he is distracted by other dogs. - Rolf Regal with Noonbarra Jaffa.

Just a quick update on (Noonbarra) Astro. He is doing amazingly!!! We are so happy with him and just amazed at how well he has settled in and how quickly he is picking up things. The crate training is a god-send, he loves his crate. When he wants time out during the day he climbs in to have a sleep in the sun and at night he is more then happy to climb in for bed time, we don’t hear from him till morning when we stir.

I have been pleasantly surprised at how quickly she is leaning and how easy she is to train. She is getting the hang of commands such as sit and off and knows she needs to sit and wait before being invited into the house or before eating her food. She has been doing really well with the down-stay. Chris Zadow with Noonbarra Jarrah

Noonbarra Kora is still delighting me daily with her work …. Kora has become a neat little dog on the heifers and being so quiet …but she stands her ground and just walks up with great control and style. When following also likes the odd nip to the heals if they are a bit slow. -Noonbarra Kora

I’m proud to tell you, that Elmo became European Champion in women classic category, and qualified to the World Championship to the USA, - Anna with Noonbarra Elmo in Hungary (Europe)

Really there’s only one thing to say and that’s thank you. She is such a lovely little dog…friendly, smart, keen, easygoing, tough and gorgeous! She’s a really positive presence in our lives and in the business (hasn’t met a rep or tradie she didn’t like), is an excellent traveller and also a great mate to Connie, our older dog. – Catherine and Bruce with Noonbarra Bird

People say that she is a wonderful working dog... In my opinion, Mou is a little angel, because she think only about making we happy ... We thank you for ever, for this doggy :) – Susanna with Noonbarra Mou in Italy

The (sheepdog) trial manager approached me after the Novice class, and remarked that Lucky seems a good dog. No matter how frantic things were, Lucky always squared her flanks. Her cast was wide, and she lifted the sheep with finesse. – Noonbarra Lucky Star

I have to say she does not have an aggressive or unhappy hair on her body. You certainly bred a dog with a fantastic temperament. Life is one big party for her and she loves me - I love her for both those qualities. - Noonbarra Cydi.

More Customer comments & reports

We have bred dozens of Kelpies who have been Sheepdog Trial winners in Arena (paddock - 3 sheep), Utility, Farm and Yard Dog Sheepdog Trials including the National Australian Open Champion, multi-western Champions and the NSW State Open Champion.

Over the last 40 years, we have bred and trained thousands of dogs, as well as teaching others through our training school and private lessons. We have also been involved in TV and film work with our Kelpies and given numerous exhibitions around Australia. (see section). We have written a number of books, magazine and newspaper articles on the Kelpie breed as well as producing a series of Videos & DVD's. We have served as directors of the Working Kelpie Council of Australia and the International Working Kelpie Club.

Our Kelpies are on the old classic bloodlines. We like the old style dogs. Most are small - medium types with an athletic look and a good turn of speed when it is needed. They bond closely and are great mates!

All our Noonbarra Kelpies have been bred very strongly back on a direct line to the great station and trial working Kelpie bloodlines of Kalari. Kelpies from these lines include the famous Liscannor Pace, Rockybar Buff, Chondo Doll, Liscannor Kay, Le Cliff Jock and Kalari Joker. But the main influence for Noonbarra has always been the great Kalari Basil born in 1959. We have more of his blood in our dogs today than any other Stud in the country and we are very proud of this achievement. His work, temperament, calmness, versatility and incredible thinking ability has always been the benchmark we have bred towards at the Noonbarra Stud.

We are purposely still endeavouring to breed more towards the old style of Kelpie which has a lot of holding ability, distance and break out and allows the stock to settle. These are medium and smaller sized Kelpies that show eye and style and are calmer dogs on stock. They are also intelligent, loyal dogs. We are very proud to say that our Noonbarra Kelpies have maintained many natural inherited traits that are becoming extremely difficult to find in a lot of the modern bloodlines today.

We prefer to have Kelpies with a kind and loving personality, who are good with children and show a high degree of intelligence, good agility, respond well to training, know how to settle and enjoy being with their owners. We think this is what is needed in a top Kelpie today.

Our Noonbarra Kelpies are bred to be loyal and friendly and that is why so many stockmen buy them as their work mate. It is also likely to be one of the main factors in our growing sales to families who want a genuine Working Kelpie as their choice for a companion dog!

Stephen & Mary (2002) with top sire: Noonbarra Dusty III and a big puppy: Noonbarra Jack V.
Photo by Laurelle Kinsman of Merrynvale Kelpie Stud