Beyond the Fence

History of the Darling-Downs Moreton Rabbit Board 1892 - 2022

“Not only does the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board maintain the oldest and longest purpose-built, rabbit-proof barrier fence still used in Australia, if not the world, it is the only organisation in Australia that is specifically dedicated to the eradication of rabbits.”

Beyond the Fence is a thoroughly researched and beautifully illustrated book that offers a fascinating account of rabbits in Australia, as well as the 130-year history of the DDMRB.

DDMRB has an intriguing history, not only of rabbits and the fence, but of legislative impact, state and local government involvement, biological control and, above all, the people behind the fence.

Beyond the Fence details a wonderful history, complemented by maps, photographs, appendices, as well as lively reminiscences captured through interviews of those associated with the Rabbit Board, both past and present. This A4, hard-cover book is an update to the DDMRB’s 1995 Rae Pennycuick publication, Keeping Rabbits Out.

For anyone interested in learning more about Australia’s past, as well as those associated with the DDMRB, Beyond the Fence is a marvellous glimpse into our history.

About the Author

Dr Margaret Kowald PhD, MA, BA, BEdStud, FRHistSQ is a Brisbane-based professional historian whose theses and books reflect a wide-ranging interest in Queensland history including:

  • The Queensland Police Force 1895-1910 (MA Thesis 1989);
  • The Australian Pastoral Company in the Maranoa 1888-1940 (PhD Thesis 1996);
  • Women on Course: The McLeod Country Golf Club, 1968-1993 (1993);
  • Lost Brisbane 1860-1960 (2014);
  • Lost Brisbane 2 and surrounding areas: the later years (2016);
  • You Still Can’t Make it Rain: The North Australian Pastoral Company 1877-2019 (2019).

She has worked as a teacher, lecturer, cultural heritage specialist, was Head of the Cultures and Histories Program at the Queensland Museum and has been editor of the Queensland History Journal since 2008. In 2019 she was awarded the John Douglas Kerr Medal of Distinction for Research and Writing Queensland and Australian History.

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