Pastures Past: Plague rats in New Zealand in 1900

The Nelson Evening Mail reported on plague rats around New Zealand in 1900. Photo / 123RF

Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.

Bubonic plague conjures images of facing the Black Death during the Great Plague of London in 1665.

However, New Zealand also had a brush with plague rats in 1900, as seen in the newspapers below.

Diseased rats in New Zealand.

Confirmation of the reports.

Nelson Evening Mail, July 7, 1900

Wellington, July 6.

The Premier’s statement is verified that plague existed in rats in places other than Wellington.

In Dunedin, the rats have been discovered suffering from bubonic, plague and at Balclutha and other inland towns in Otago rats have been recently dying in numbers and it is believed that the plague bacillus is the cause of mortality.

There is no doubt about Dunedin, as Dr Roberts has reported as much to the Colonial Secretary.

As a result of scientific investigation, Dr Fyffe has made a similar report regarding the rats in Wanganui.

The Aramoho district authorities state that there is no reason for panic, but the discovery should impel people throughout New Zealand to persist in sanitary precautions.

Plague rats

An important official statement.

Wanganui Chronicle, July 6, 1900

We have received for publication the following important official notification from Mr J. F. McEachran, M.R.C.V.S. : —

Regarding the Mayor’s utterances about plagues of rats in Aramoho, Mr Gilruth, Royal Commissioner, desires me to make the following statement : —

The rats and specimens from rats examined by Mr Gilruth were obtained from the Aramoho district and from the town of Wanganui.

The recent specimens were caught at the wharves in the vicinity of the Wanganui Railway Station.

The history of the outbreak is of special interest at the present time.

A "Rat Week" advertisement in the Te Awamutu Courier in 1944. Image / Papers Past

Early in the year, numerous rats were found dead or dying on the breakwater at Castlecliff; so numerous, indeed, as to evoke surprise.

Shortly afterwards sickly rats were observed in town.

Unfortunately, the authorities took no notice of the circumstance.

Towards the end of March and beginning of April, the rats in the neighbourhood of Aramoho became visibly affected, and acting on instructions from headquarters, I immediately took steps to have them examined.

After an exhaustive and microscopical and bacteriological examination, the Royal Commissioners decided that the rats were infected with plague.

I then secured sick rats from town, and these were also diseased.

The disease evidently had its origin at Castlecliff, having probably been brought by plague rats off ships from Australia.

The observed dates show that the progress of the infection was from Castlecliff to town and from town to Aramoho.

J. F. McEachran M.R.C.V.S.,

Government Veterinarian.

- Source: Papers Past