|
1788
The colony of NSW is founded and rabbits arrive with Europeans from
England. The rabbits do not seem to be a problem.
1827
Rabbits reported on Carnac Island (off Fremantle,Western Australia). These
rabbits were left as a permanent food supply by whaling ships working
the west and south coast of Australia.
1859
Thomas Austin of Barwon Park near Geelong in the colony of Victoria imports
24 rabbits for sport.
1865- 1866
Over this two-year period, Thomas Austin reports he and his guests have
killed at least 34,000 rabbits in sport. Austin and adjacent landowners
enjoy the sport of rabbit hunting so much they ask for legislation to
protect rabbits.
1872
Rabbits are in plague proportions in the eastern states, eating
out pasture. Landowners petition to make destruction of rabbits
compulsory.
1887
In NSW from January to August it is estimated that 10 million rabbits
are killed.
1894
Rabbits are reported to have spread from the eastern states to the
town of Eucla, WA.
1896
Arthur Gregory Mason is instructed by the WA
Under Secretary for Lands to lead an expedition to check on rabbit
incursion into WA.
Mason reports that rabbits have crossed from South Australia and
are 200 miles (330km) inside WA.
He suggests building a rabbit proof fence.
1901
Following a Royal Commission, the WA
Parliament decides to build a rabbit proof fence. Surveyor AW Canning
surveys the fence line from Starvation Boat Harbour on the south
coast (70 miles west of Esperance) to 80 Mile Beach at Wallal.
Work begins on the No. 1 Fence in December.
1904
Rabbits are past Fence No 1 and threaten the fertile Avon Valley.
A second fence is built from Point Ann on the south coast through
Cunderdin, Yalgoo and connects to Fence No 1 at Gum Creek.
1908
Both fences are completed. Barrier Fence No. 1 is 1,139 miles (1,898
km) long. Barrier Fence No. 2 is 724 miles (1,206 km) long.
A third fence is also built between Yalgoo and the west coast, 20
miles (32km) south of Kalbarri.
c1909
Alex Crawford is appointed Chief Inspector of Rabbits. He is assisted
by work parties, but is personally responsible to inspect 1,000
miles (1,600 km) of fence each year.
1910
A motor buggy is purchased to use for the fence inspections. Horses
have proved difficult to use because of water requirements, bicycles
have failed because of rough conditions and punctures. The motor
buggy also fails because of punctures and broken springs.
The final solution is to use a buckboard buggy pulled by a pair
of camels.
1910-1918
Over the next 8 years, rabbits move further west - past open gates
in the fence, under the wire where soil had been eroded away and
through holes torn in the wire netting.
1918
Rabbits have become a severe problem in WA
- eating pasture, crops and ring-barking trees. People try everything
to destroy rabbits; wire netting around individual farms, poison
baits, poison gases such as cyanide, carbon bisulphate and monoxide
chemicals, metal traps and deep ripping of rabbit warrens (holes).
1935- 1937
Rabbits are in plague proportions. Rabbit skins increase in commercial
value and the fur is used to make felt for hats.
1950
The contagious disease 'myxomatosis' is released. The disease only
affects rabbits and is transmitted by mosquitoes. The disease kills
millions of rabbits and halts the rabbit explosion.
1956
A new poison - '1080' (ten eighty) is introduced. 1080 is relatively
harmless to native animals and it adds to the effect of myxamotosis.
Eradication of rabbits looks possible.
1968
The European rabbit flea is released as an alternative carrier of
myxomatosis, due to low numbers of mosquitoes in WA
and Tasmania.
1996
Rabbits still thrive. A new highly infectious disease - 'rabbit
calicivirus disease' is released at Cranbrook WA
on 18 October.
2002
Although combined use of myxomatosis, 1080 poison and rabbit calicivirus
disease seems to be effective in keeping rabbit numbers down, rabbits
still cost Australian farmers more than $600 million every year.
Research continues into other methods such as fertility control
agents.
| 
