Xanadu Llamas & Xanadu Fibres - A llama farm, tourist park and fibre producing property at Mt Egerton, near Ballarat in Victoria's Central Goldfields. Xanadu concentrates on breeding heavily woolled llamas with correct conformation and congenial dispositions - and the production of fine llama fibre and exotic fibre blends.

Llamas are members of the camelid family, related to the dromedary and bactrian camel, as well as the alpaca, guanaco and vicuna. The camel family originated on the central plains of North America over 40 million years ago but by the end of the last ice age had become extinct in this area.

One theory supposes the camels migrated north across the Bering Sea land bridge to Asia and then on to Africa, whilst the llama-like creatures journeyed to South America, evolving into two distinct species - the wild guanaco and vicuna. Controlled breeding and domestication of these two species produced the llama and alpaca of today. The four species of camelid are often referred to as "lama".

The guanaco is the wild cousin of the domesticated llama and alpaca. It has a leaner build than the llama and is a reddish-brown colour with a white underbelly and white fleece on the inside of the legs. Although once hunted mercilessly, it is now under the protection of the State and numbers over one million, the largest number roaming the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile.

Guanacos range from northern Peru to the southern-most tip of Chile and from sea level to around 12,000 feet. Guanacos have extremely soft fibre and although there are some in Australia, a licence is required to keep them in Victoria.

The wild vicuna, which is valued for its outstanding fleece, thrives easily above 17,000 feet on the altiplano of Peru.

The Incas protected the vicuna because of its valuable fibre. Only members of royalty were permitted to wear vicuna garments. During the 1500's, the vicuna was slaughtered indiscriminately by the Spaniards for both its fleece and hide.

In 1969, nearing extinction and with less than 2000 animals remaining, the vicuna was declared an endangered species.

Through the efforts of Dr William Franklin of Iowa State University, the Pampas Galera Vicuna reserve was established and today vicunas in the reserve number around 200,000. Poachers still slaughter hundreds of vicuna each year, as although the trade in vicuna products is banned they still command a high price on the black market.

The alpaca, which is bred for its fibre, is considered to be the National treasure of Peru, although it can also be found in Chile and Bolivia. They are one of the two domesticated species of camelid and were developed through thousands of years of controlled breeding by the Incas, who also prized the alpaca for its fine fibre.

There are two types of alpaca - the huacaya, with crimpy fleece, which sits tightly to the body like the wool of a sheep, and the suri, with extremely fine fibre, which hangs from the body in locks.

The second domestic member of the camelid family is the llama. Having been domesticated in the highlands of Peru some 4000-5000 years ago, the llama could be considered one of the oldest domesticated animals in the world.

The llama is used by the native South Americans for its fleece, which is warm and windproof, as a beast of burden for carrying goods and produce as well as for its hide, meat and sinew. Even the dried manure is used for fuel on fires.

Today, like yesterday, there is a strong kinship between South American highland herders and their llamas and alpacas, cemented by tradition, religious devotion, genuine affection and harsh practicality.