Rabbits & Other Pests

No-one knows for sure who first introduced rabbits to New Zealand, because no-one wanted to take the blame for what became one of New Zealand's biggest environmental and economic disasters. We start season two burrowing into the devastating history of rabbits and other pests.

We start season two burrowing into the story of rabbits and other pests. What started with plenty of (h)optimism has led to generations of damage to our environment and economy.

Watch the video version of the episode here

By Tim Watkin

History is a river; fluid, flowing, always changing and always the same. That bit about history always changing is something that many people find hard to accept. It's behind us, it's happened, frozen in time. We often want to come to conclusions about the past and keep it, well, in the past. Wrap it up and move on. But as Billy Bragg once wrote, "The past is always knocking incessant / Trying to break through into the present".

And it often succeeds. Whenever as a country we debate issues such as inequality, co-governance, free speech, taxes... you name it, history is banging at the door wanting to have its say.

How you see that river of history or hītōria, ah well, that depends on where you're standing. And when you're standing there. And who you're standing with. And what you already know about rivers; or think you know. Perhaps which language you speak. As hard as it can be for people to accept, there is no right version of history, history does not end and our views of the events, people and issues of the past have always and will always keep changing. And that's a good thing. History is at its most revealing when you approach it with an open mind and a little empathy.

That's been a guiding principle for the team making the second season of The Aotearoa History Show. Our job is to explain history not to pass judgment on it. That's a tough thing to do in these times, when people seem more eager than ever to make declarations about the rights and wrongs of history and the people who made it. Standing on at one point on the riverbank, looking at one part of the river while making sweeping declarations about the whole river is likely to get you lots of likes on social media…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details