The Cudgee Kelpies have enjoyed a very long history. There would be few Kelpie pedigrees today that don't have Cudgee Kelpies listed somewhere in them. The Stud was run by Bill Prendergast over a very long period and Cudgee Kelpies were used by many of the top breeders in Australia. Nearly all the Cudgee dogs were black and tan and thought to have been strongly based on the Tully bred dogs (early Rutherford strains) in the late 1800's.

Bill did not have much interest in Sheepdog Trials and sold his dogs for work on properties as mustering and station dogs. Jack Smith worked a number of Cudgee Kelpies in sheepdog trials in the 1940's and 1950's and certainly made a name for them there. Cudgee Shandy, Cudgee Nap, Cudgee Banner and Cudgee Jan were well known. Bill Prendergast continued to breed until about 1980 when he was in his late 80's.

Henry Prendergast (Bill's Grandfather) arrived on Canelly Station in the Balranald district from Ireland in 1853. His son (Bill's father) who was also called Henry Prendergast was born on the Station in 1855. Henry senior died in 1867 and the sheepdog breeding was taken over by Tom Prendergast (Bill's uncle).

It has been said that Prendergast family didn't like the red coloured Kelpies (favoured by the famous King & Mc Leod Stud) and for that reason they preferred the Tully family dogs more than the King & McLeod Kelpies which were very popular at the turn of the century.

Bill got his first Kelpie of his family's strain of Kelpies in 1909 when his brother had a litter by his good bitch, Cloudy. The strain at that time was referred to by the family as the 'Soldier Strain' and not Cudgee as they were later known. They were also known by others as the 'Prendergast Strain'. Bill Prendergast started breeding Kelpies himself in 1913.

The sire of the pups his brother bred in 1909 was a black & tan Kelpie called 'Top' owned by another of Bill's brothers and bred at Nap Nap Station near Hay in western NSW. 'Top' was from 'Gay' and Gay was sired by Moorhead's Shep, a well known Sheepdog Trial worker.

The dam was 'Jet' a black bitch belonging to Bill's father Henry Prendergast. Top was from 'Dot' another black and tan Kelpie and 'Dot' from from 'McCormack's Floss', a famous Kelpie in the Balranald district and owned by Bill McCormack. McCormack's Floss was by Denby (black & Tan), owned by John Lane and born about 1890. Floss was from 'May' also owned by John Lane of Yanga Station at Balranald in western NSW. 'May' was a very well known bitch in the district.

From this litter Bill got himself a black male pup that he called 'Nap'. He later had other Kelpies called 'Nap', including Burnamwood Nap, bred at Burnamwood Station. This original Nap only ever sired one litter of pups. He was mated to Gearys Lass who was bred from two King & McLeod Kelpies. Nap was accidently poisoned the same day the pups were born in 1913. Jack Goodfellow's famous Trial Kelpie, Currawang Nap was named after this 'Nap' of Bill Prendergast. Bill kept a black & tan bitch from the litter and called her 'Tip'.

Bill was the image of a Stockman. He spent most of his life mustering and droving in far western New South Wales, an area usually referred to as Australia's outback. Bill became President of the Working Kelpie Council in 1966 when it was first formed but resigned a year later in 1967.

Another Working Kelpie Stud called itself 'Cudgeewang' and was a daughter Stud to Cudgee. Nearly all their breeding was based purely on Cudgee strain Kelpies. This Stud was run by a Kevin Woodcroft at Homebush in Sydney and bred a number of good Kelpies and was very well known in the 1960's and around that period.

(Cudgee Ross X Cudgee Goldie) Born: 1955

"It is really surprising to note that Tony Parsons says in his book that old Cudgee Nap was very toothy. I can't make this one out as everyone told me he was too kind with sheep. Tom Doonan and Mick Doughty etc. told me this and they knew the dog and saw him work on old ewes at Tony's place. He was out of the outstanding bitch Cudgee Goldy... He was a very strong, terrific holding dog. ... Cudgee Nap got very kind pups what I have seen of them and out of fire boxes too. In fact I have never seen any Cudgee dog biters except my Ace - and he was broken in on cattle. - Les Tarrant (Rockybar Kelpie Stud) in letter to Stephen Bilson 1986

Mike Donelan (Bullenbong Kelpie Stud) - Author of 'The Australian Kelpie'.

"Bill Prendergast has spent a lifetime breeding and working Kelpies. One could write a complete book on his personal contibution to the Kelpie breed. A man who has worked in and travelled vast areas of Australia, is popular and highly respected. Bushmen from Balranald to the Kimberleys will tell you "Bill Prendergast is a gentleman", high praise in a land where bouquets are seldom handed out.

The following yarn was told to me by an old timer in the Windorah Pub in Western Queensland. He referred to 'Young Prendergast' which confused me no end, Bill was in his seventies at that time.

"Long Bill (Bill Naughton) engaged young Prendergast to take delivery of three thousand one year old ewes off a special train from Omeo at Balranald after the big drought broke", he said. The Naughtons owned Canally at the time, and Watts was the manager and a hard man with it. Long Bill was about to go up to McArthur River Station on the Gulf and Edmund (Naughton) was down in Melbourne selling cattle. Long Bill looked into the distance and said " Prendergast you're in charge, look after these sheep. They're pretty weak, feed them and deliver them". With these words he left.

The train load of sheep duly arrived at Balranald late in the evening on a very windy day. They were untrucked, counted and very hungry; it started to drizzle. The agents suggested that young Prendergast start with them at daylight and departed for home.

Young Prendergast told his offsider to go up the stock route four miles and cut a limb from a tree, drag a trail right across the route and make camp. He then opened the gate and let the three thousand sheep go; they went like the charge of the light brigade with young Prendergast and a couple of Kelpies trying to hold them.

After about half an hour it was pitch black and raining. Young Prendergast headed for his camp. At daylight the next morning young Prendergast saddled his horse and with his Kelpies tracked the marker and headed for the lead, which he got to about eight o'clock, ten miles out. The agents and Watts arrived about 10 minutes later fit to explode.

"You're bloody mad you young bastard, letting sheep go in the dark, you're sacked" they said." The sheep are alright, they;re full and they're all alive; left in the yards some would have died;and you can't sack me. Mr Naughton left me in charge; buck his orders if you like, but look out when he gets back".

The row ended in the car going back to Balranald and young Prendergast going on with the sheep. A month later young Prendergast was boiling his billy every half an hour on good feed, on an isolated stock route, when the same agents and Watts showed up again. "Where the hell do you think you're going Prendergast, you're fifty miles off course and we want those sheep for shearing next bloody week". "Bugger the shearing" replied young Prendergast, "Mr. Naughton told me to feed these bloody sheep and that's exactly what I entend to do until he tells me otherwise".

Eventually the sheep arrived at the boundary gate and delivery was given. Long Bill was so satisfied with the condition of the mob that he re-engaged young Prendergast to "potter up" to Bourke and bring down five thousand wethers to Hay. "See if you can put a bit of meat on them on the way down".

Bill Prendergast bought a lot of mobs "down" for my family in years to come. He was always "in charge". During his life he has bred some great Kelpies. Cudgee Nap was one of the most famous, others were Cudgee King, Cudgee Ross, Cudgee Goldie, Cudgee Tilly, Cudgee Shandy, Cudgee Jill, Cudgee Wilkie, Cudgee Penny and many others whose names escape me at the moment. - Mike Donelan (From his excellent book 'The Australian Kelpie')

(Cudgee Shandy X Cudgee Jenny) Born: 1967

Cudgee Jan was placed 6th in the big Canberra National on 163 points 26 points behind the winner. Cudgee Jan died in 1975, she was found dead on her chain by owner Peter Ward. She was one of Queensland's best trial winning Kelpies. Cudgee Jan and Chondo doll once had to have a run off in the big Queensland arena Championships. Chondo Doll won.

"Cudgee Jan was a very good bitch winning some very good trials including the Brisbane Open with two scores of 92 and 94. Her sire (Cudgee Shandy) also won amongst other good wins for his owner, Jack Smith, the Brisbane Open Trial. Cudgee Jan was a great Kelpie in the trial ring, but she had the chance with Peter Ward to prove herself, that many other Cudgee Kelpies did not have. Her litter brother, Kyle has handed down the good bloodlines truely today, more so than many other Cudgees. He did not live over many years and was never among the best Cudgees however his pups have handed down some very good dogs to the Kelpie breed. His sire and Jan's was the great dog, Cudgee Sandy, owned by Mr. Jack Smith. A trial winner and a dog that did more work in his life than 10 other dogs and all in western and central Queensland, the graveyard of many good dogs, and bad ones too." - Les Tarrant (Rockybar Kelpie Stud)