Dexters are a true dual purpose breed of cattle, which originated in Ireland and have a long history with records dating from the 18th Century. The first Herdbook was produced in 1890 by the Royal Dublin Society. Dexters were first introduced into Australia in the 1880's and have enjoyed an Australia-wide revival since the mid 1980's.

Dexters are the smallest naturally occurring British cattle breed. The ideal height for cows range from 97cm to 107cm and bulls 102cm to 112cm, Dexters are usually black in colour with red and dun colours being less common. Their size makes them ideally suited to the small property owner as well as the farmer who understands that small-framed cattle can be more efficient than larger-framed cattle.