History of the
Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board fence When rabbits first reached
Queensland in the 1880s from the southern states, a fence was
quickly constructed along the border in an attempt to keep them
out. Unfortunately, the rabbits had already invaded some districts
before the fence was completed. Some of the invaded districts had
inadequate financial and technical resources to cope with the
problem and went bankrupt. Many other sections of the fence fell
into disrepair and ceased being a barrier to rabbits.
In 1930, all existing rabbit boards were abolished except three -
the Leichhardt, Darling Downs and Moreton. In 1963, the Leichhardt
Rabbit Board closed and the Darling Downs Rabbit Board took over 80
km of the fence, extending it west of Chinchilla. The following
year, the Darling Downs Rabbit Board and the Moreton Rabbit Board
merged and became the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board
(DDMRB).
The fence is
now 555 km long and stretches from Lamington National Park in the
east, to Goombi in the south-west where it connects to the wild dog
barrier fence. It protects about 28,000 square km within southern
Queensland.
The DDMRB fence provides a unique form of protection against the
incursion of rabbits, and has successfully prevented the
establishment of rabbits within its boundaries.
If rabbits
are found within the fenced area they are eradicated.