For our July Talking History, Robyn Annear follows the claim that ‘There is something in the climate or situation of Ballarat which is supposed to be obnoxious to rats, who, like its surroundings no more that that of the proverbial sinking ship’ (The Age, 5 February 1881). Could Ballarat really have been rat free, and what measures were put in place to try and maintain a rodent free city?
Robyn Annear is author of six books of history, including ‘Bearbrass’, ‘A City Lost & Found: Whelan the Wrecker’s Melbourne’ and ‘Nothing But Gold: The Diggers of 1852’. Her podcast, Nothing on TV, present stories from historical newspapers found on Trove. Her latest book, ‘Adrift in Melbourne’, taking the reader on seven walks through Melbourne’s history, was published by Text in 2021.
Attend Talking History in person at the Eureka Centre (no booking required). Past lectures can be viewed on YouTube by clicking this link.
Image: Ludwig Becker, ‘Long haired or plague rat’ [detail], 1861. State Library of Victoria.
