Rabbit plagues in Australia

[10] A large scale plague occurred in 1871 throughout parts of Tasmania starting prior to March,[11] with farmers using strychnine in an attempt to control numbers[12] and continuing through to May of the same year.

[13] In 1876 a plague was reported in districts around Kapunda in South Australia[14] with a commission being established to find the cause and suitable methods of control of the problem.

[24] After the drought broke in around 1904 numbers of rabbits and mice started to grow again in the same areas as well as parts of Queensland to plague proportions.

After an unsuccessful attempt to send the virus to Australia, Macnamara carried it with her to London, handing over her data to fellow scientist Charles Martin to continue testing.

Martin concluded that the virus caused no harm to surrounding wildlife, livestock, or humans so field trails began on Wardang Island.

[37] Field trials for the myxomatosis virus were carried out in 1936 by the CSIR Division of Animal Health and Nutrition as a method of controlling rabbit population.