Rabbit Destruction Council:
These new works touch on New Zealand's mixed environmental history. Rabbits were introduced to New Zealand in the 1860’s and the first attempt to control their numbers was introduced in 1878. In 1947 legislation established an eight member 'Rabbit Destruction Council' for the coordination of rabbit destruction. The Rabbit Destruction Council holds my fascination with its quirky, matter of fact name, adequately summing up New Zealand's attempt to do that. The history is interesting with enormous amounts of money and energy spent on the attempt to eradicate rabbits. Even mustelids and cats were introduced to help control rabbit populations with seemingly obvious negative implications.

The councillors of the Rabbit Destruction Council are imagined as Owls because they're another "Natural enemy of the rabbit", despite our Ruru, or Morepork, only occasionally scavenges on rabbit road kill. Read Less