Mary Roddy, Nook, Tas, hopes to raise awareness for Romneys

Ms Roddy, Little Nook Farm, says she's looking at pursuing building a Romney stud after being inspired by her neighbours, Maurice and Imogen Baldock.

"They used to be popular but now they've gone out of favour," she said.

"I have a really soft spot for them."

She said she adored their temperament, and had a few good ewes to work with.

"We started off with Suffolks and working with the Romneys is so much easier - they're quieter, less flighty, it's easier to tag them," Ms Roddy said.

Ms Roddy was born in Ireland, finishing a civil engineering degree in 2012 before she moved to Australia for work.

"My family have owned the same piece of land since my great grandfather, his parents came back from America and when he was seven they put that piece of land, and they're still there," she said.

She owns a project management company with her partner Craig Saunders, and is between lambing and calving season with 50 breeding cows and 60 breeding ewes, both Romney and Suffolk.

She said she hoped to eventually focus more on farming and wool products, and develop a Romney wool on the "finer side".

"I'd like to be moving more into the farming space, it's a passion of mine, I love wool and wool products, and I'd like to increase that awareness that there's more to life than Merino," Ms Roddy said.

"While Merino is a fabulous product, it's not suited to your farming jumpers and you need something a bit tougher."

She said Mr and Ms Baldock would be a significant help to selecting her first Romney rams, when she felt ready to start her stud.

"I want to maintain those qualities of the Romneys, your good feet, strong constitution, good mothering instincts," she said.

"And generally just increase awareness of the breed, it would be a sad loss."