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May 2015

Shooting Not Permitted on Sundays

Destruction of Hares 1928 - 1948


"Hare Soup on the Menu"

In October 1937, Lands Inspector, J.E. Morrow suggested a "bonus" of 3d (2 1/2 cents) on hare scalps as "a means of controlling the number of hares in the City Area." The Department placed an advertisement in the 2nd December 1937 issue of the Canberra Times setting out the following conditions:

"Persons wishing to destroy hares must hold gun licences, which are obtainable free of charge, at the Registrar's Office, Civic Branch, Acton. Shooting will not be permitted on Sundays, and firearms must not be discharged on or near a public road or public place."

However, the results were disappointing with only 29 scalps handed in over the following two months. In February 1938, Brackenreg, now the Secretary for the Property and Survey Branch, concluded:

"It is apparent that the amount of bonus is insufficient to encourage persons to hunt for hares, and the inspector suggests, and I concur, that the amount for the bonus be increased to 1/- [10 cents] per scalp and to apply for a period terminating on 30th April."

When asked to advise on the increased bonus, the Territory Advisory Council felt the amount was insufficient, recommending 1/6 (15 cents) per scalp. The Minister of State for the Interior, V.C. Thompson, approved the 1/6 bonus from May to the 30th June 1938. This appeared to have an immediate effect with local hunters as The Canberra Times reporting on the 18th June:

"The increased bonus of 1/6 per scalp has proved an incentive to many local residents to go after the pest, and close on 100 scalps have been submitted to the Department."

The article also suggested a use for the hare carcasses:

"Shootists are reminded that hare soup on the menu at the Canberra Community Hospital is always appreciated by patients."

By the end of June 1938, Canberra hunters had presented 407 scalps to the Department. Due to this success, the bonus was extended another month by which time a further 359 hares were destroyed. The bonus, at the reduced rate of 1/- per scalp, was reintroduced several times over the following years.

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"One Man's Weed is Another Man's Flower"

This file closes in 1948 with the Department of the Interior once again preparing to wage war against the hares. Due to numerous public complaints about hares, Chief Lands Officer, J.E Morrow, began the introduction of another 1/- bonus on hare scalps to end on the 30th November 1948.

Ironically, while the Property and Survey Branch instructed rural lessees to keep their blocks clear of the rose species, Sweet Briar (Rosa rubiginosa), hares damaging the Parliament House Rose Gardens concerned them.


Memo by Morrow dated 28th June 1948

'Destruction of Hares in the ACT' - Memo by Chief Lands Officer J.E. Morrow dated 28th June 1948

While the current ACT Government singles out rabbits in their current pest management policies, the hare is still classed as a "pest animal" in the ACT Pest Animal Management Strategy 2012-2022 (PDF Icon PDF 1.32Mb)

Download a PDF of the scanned file pages for this months 'find' here: (PDF Icon PDF 1.21Mb)

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Links to External Websites


Links to Newspaper Articles

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