MAX. We used to get a heck of a lot of wash out of the hills from up here....in 1939 that's when the rabbits got going madly here. They eroded the country right through to Pericoe ......
They were that bad?
MAX. Oh, God, yes.
So it was more to do with rabbits, the river sanding up, than farming practices?
MAX. Oh, yes. Definitely. It was. Look the rabbits were that bad ....going down to log farm there was an orchard, about an acre and a half, and it had a paling fence around and to catch some rabbits they took two or three palings off there early in the night and went out through the night and put the palings back on and the next day they went out to get these rabbits and they were piled up that high in the corners they were getting out over the top of the paling fence. There was no grass and they'd sour the ground out with their urine and that's when the ti tree took over in this area. It spread like something mad.
*** Excerpt from Max Sawers' interview in 'The Forgotten Corner Interviews'.

Rabbits, along with land clearing, closing down of small butter factories and World Wars 1 & 11, caused great changes in the Towamba valley.
The first rabbits were reported around the turn of the 20th century. Their devastation of the soil was so dramatic that farmers were forced to put rabbit netting around their paddocks. Many were not in any financial position to do this. As a result, good pasture was eaten out and some farmers lost an income. However, rabbit skins became popular and most farmers and particularly school children made a small income this way. The local skin buyers did regular rounds of the farms collecting skins and later rabbit carcasses. A rabbit canning factory opened at Wyndham where carcasses were processed.

'Magnet' March 1929
* Towamba lass trapped rabbits but couldn't kill them so father obliged next morning. She put them in a box overnight.

PERICOE
'Magnet' April 12, 1930
* Trappers have commenced trapping in spite of the low price prevailing for skins but Pericoe always does its best to get rid of the pest.

'Magnet' January 31, 1931
* Now that rabbit skin prices are rising the bunnies are receiving a good deal of attention while we also appear to be the Mecca of skin buyers. So frequent are their visits that one resident often displays on his gate "No rabbit skins today."

ADVERTISEMENT
All Kinds of Skins Wanted

Through life's many ups and downs
While fickle fortune smiles or frowns
'Tis always known that W.N. Stone
For highest price stands out alone.
Phone 3. Eden

Skin buyers at Towamba Store. Vic Littley (white coat) and Billy Stone. No date.

BURRAGATE
'Magnet' July 4, 1931
* Rabbit skins are 3/6 per pound this week for which we are all thankful.

'Magnet' July 28, 1934
RABBITSKINS
Pitt, Son & Badgery wired us on Wednesday. 125 tons offered today. The market was weaker, values being on an average 1 penny to two pence lower.
Quotes: Winters to 39 pence. Racks to 15 pence. Best heavy pelts to 70 pence. Others to 44 pence. Does to 28 pence. Damaged to 20 pence. Smalls to 14 pence.

'Magnet' June 1, 1935
* Rabbit trapping is now in full swing and prospects for the season seem bright. Our genial friend Mr. W. N. Stone is still buying and as usual is well to the fore.

'Magnet' August 17, 1935
RATES AND RABBITS
Hilarity went hand in hand with sympathy at Imlay Shire Council's last meeting when a letter was received from a Towamba rate payer through his solicitors with a cheque in reduction of a fairly large amount owing for rates.
His letter which covered quite a lot of ground complained of his valuation, spoke of the shire valuer (Mr V. Grant) as a "well payed Imlay Shire tourist" and referred to the time, "when Mr. Rodd (the clerk) put my rates up".
Rabbits, it appeared, were also a large cause for complaint. He had spent a lot of money trying to eradicate them, for others nearby were doing nothing, hence the part payment of rates. Councilor Lee suggested sending a receipt and advising that the rate could not be altered.
Councillor Wiles "He has his remedy.
Councillor Mitchell "Yay, he can appeal."
Councillor Mitchell said the ratepayer in question was to be pitied and he felt very sympathetic for all Council could do was to advise the solicitors of the facts and allow time for payment of the balance.
Councillors Lee and Wiles strongly favoured stipulating for definate monthly payments. The President suggested starting them from November and added, "He's making nothing from us now.'
Councillor Wiles, also sympathetic but added humourously, "No, but he's just paid the pound. It's wonderful what you can find if you feel in the right pocket." (laughter)
Finally on the motion of councillors Mitchell and Lee he had been given three months in which to meet the balance.

RABBIT CANNING FACTORY AT WYNDHAM. 1910. NOTE RABBIT CARCASSES ON CARTS. Photo courtesy C. and G. Clements

'Magnet' September 21, 1935
Rabbit trappers have had one of the most successful seasons for years, as buyers are still offering good prises, trapping is just as keen as ever.

'Magnet' October 19, 1935
Recently a Lower Towamba farmer who was perturbed by the rumour that a rabbit had appeared on his property, wrote to the rabbit inspector to enquire what had become of the last rabbit, which he (inspector) had reported as being in hiding under a blackberry bush in Mumbulla Shire.
A letter in reply brought the information that, when last seen by the inspector, the said rabbit, representing a very matronly appearance, was starting off in what appeared to be a bee-line for the correspondent's farm at Lower Towamba. A hue and cry has been raised and intensive search is being made for the fugitive rabbit which as it runs may read on every Kiah farm with the motto " Rabbit Stay 'Way From My Door".