Before the Fence: The Rabbits are Coming

The Rabbits are Coming! Widgiemooltha Oct 15 1900 –  Two local prospectors named J. Reed and J. White captured and brought in on Saturday night three live rabbits from a place about seventeen miles south-east of Binyaring, a distance of about 40 miles from here. They discovered several warrens at the place mentioned when looking for strayed horses. They dug out one of the burrows, capturing three rabbits, whilst four made good their escape. Your correspondent visited these men’s camp yesterday and was shown the rodents, which are nearly half grown and appear in good health. There is no water within 17 miles of where the capture took place, but feed is fairly good. The country they describe as sandy, and in places there are huge boulders: A large number of the burrows are under these boulders. Messrs White and Reed are offering the rodents to the Perth Zoological Gardens as a present.

The Sun 19 Jun 1901

To hinder the spread of the pestilence dread,

Goes rabbit inspector Miles,

With poison and gun the plague to arrest,

Which threatens to ravage the farms of the West,

Whose owners are cursing the ravenous pest

In fluent and vigorous style

Now Miles may be clever, and has duly endeavoured –

The threatened invasion to best-

But the bunnies who long on the groper to feast,

And who’s traversed in safety the miles from the East,

Will conquer the “Miles from the West.”