Those Wild Rabbits

Bruce Munday

In December 1859, Thomas Austin introduced 24 wild rabbits to Barwon Park, near Geelong. By 1920 it is thought there were 10 billion rabbits rampaging across the nation. Those Wild Rabbits reveals the immense damage they inflicted on Australia’s environment, agriculture and social cohesion and examines our mostly futile attempts to control them.

Book Launch

Those Wild Rabbits – how they shaped Australia is published by Wakefield Press and supported by the Foundation for Rabbit-free Australia. It was launched at Glen Devon (Mt Pleasant) on Friday 7 April by multi-award winning journalist Prue Adams (ABC Landline).

I was privileged that Hugh and Fiona MacLachlan hosted this event at their wonderful Glen Devon property. They have unparalleled experience in the pastoral lands and know full-well the devastation caused by rabbits.

Those Wild Rabbits was shortlisted for the Mark and Evette Moran Nib Literary Award and awarded the Alex Buzo Shortlist Prize.

Those Wild Rabbits has also been awarded the Keain Medal for the South Australian Historical Book of the Year for 2017