This paper reviews the history, breeding and biological characterisation of a highly inbred line of pigs, the Westran, developed by Westmead Hospital and the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Sydney, as an experimental large animal model for transplantation research. The review ranges from the historical origins of Westran pigs, from a pair of animals released on Kangaroo Island in 1803, to the context and relevance of the line in xenotransplantation (i.e. the transplantation of organs, tissues and cells across species boundaries).