The Australian Terrier is believed to be descended from a dog known as the Rough-Coated Terrier, a relative of the old Scotch dog of Great Britain. Breed researchers have some consensus of opinion that this Terrier was crossed with other British Terriers who were brought to Australia, including the precursor of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, the Skye, the Yorkshire, and the Black and Tan Terrier. The result was the tough and courageous Aussie.

Because early European settlers in Australia faced harsh conditions, they needed a hardy, fearless dog that could work in all kinds of weather. Aussies were bred to control and exterminate rats and snakes on the waterfront, in gold mines, and on sheep stations in the outback. They were also used as watchdogs, shepherds, and companions to the people living in these stressful outposts.

The Australian Terrier is the first native breed to be recognized and shown in Australia. He was first shown as the Australian Rough-Coated Terrier in 1868 in Melbourne, and he was officially renamed the Australian Terrier in 1897.

The Aussie was brought to England by members of the foreign service and the British aristocracy. The breed was recognized by the Kennel Club in England in 1933. Starting in the late 1940s, servicemen and other travelers brought the Aussie to the United States, where he eventually debuted at the Westminister Kennel Club show in 1957.

Nell Fox of Pleasant Pastures Kennels, the author of Australian Terrier (THF Publications, 1997) helped bring recognition to the breed in this country. Fox, a native of New Zealand, had been familiar with the Aussie in her youth and imported some of the first Australian Terriers to arrive in the U.S.

In 1960, the Australian Terrier became the 114th breed recognized by the American Kennel Club, the first new terrier breed in 21 years. The Australian Terrier Club of America formed in 1957 and became a member club of the AKC in 1977.

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