Rat Invasion in Bunbury

In the winter of 1941 Bunbury was invaded by rats!

It was reported that despite the offer by the Bunbury Municipal Council of a bonus of threepence for every carcass, the plague was becoming worse. The rats infiltrated business houses, damaged upholstery and destroyed merchandise. At a meeting of the Bunbury Health Board, Acting Mayor G. H. Joel said that, although he had no foodstuffs on his business premises, the rats had eaten the buttons off clothes and done other damage. Cr. Prosser said that a quantity of merchandise at his premises had been ruined by the rats. The final word came from Health Inspector F. S. Senior, who said the townspeople would have to be consistent in their fight – “it was no good some people trying to eradicate them and others doing nothing”.

Written by Christine Hunter for the Streets of Bunbury project.