Unlike other rural industries, the rabbit industry prospered during war, depression and drought.īy the late 1920s the rabbit industry in south-eastern Australia (southern Queensland, New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, Tasmania and eastern South Australia) was one of the largest employers of labour in the country. This money was spent locally in hundreds of rural businesses, used to buy cars, homes and farms, or saved. Wool remained the nation’s major export earner but income from wool ended up in relatively few hands, while the rabbit industry provided cash money on a daily basis to thousands of trappers and workers. The rabbit industry revolutionised work practices in rural areas and stimulated local businesses like no other industry. Unlike other rural workers, who had to travel continuously in search of seasonal or intermittent work, rabbiters were able to reside in one location all year. Trappers were independent suppliers who chose when to work, how long to work, what to work for, skins or carcases, or a mixture of both, and who to sell to. Thousands of rabbiters in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and southern Queensland earned in a week up to ten times the rates of pay earned by building and metal industry tradesmen, and earnings remained high until 1970. Carcase prices varied from 3d a pair in the 1890s to 24d a pair in the early 1950s, while skins were worth between 1.5d and 10d a pound in the 1890s and reached 249d a pound in 1946. Each rabbit carcase or skin was worth money. During the hundred years covered by this paper, over 20 billion rabbits were trapped or poisoned in south-east Australia for commercial purposes.
In 1929 the rabbit industry was reported to be the largest employer of labour in Australia.
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