“RABBIT TOWN.”

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3863, 27 October 1928, Page 2

“RABBIT TOWN.”

DESCRIPTION OF DUNEDIN. AMERICAN IMAGINATION. Dunedin, Yesterday. New York knows Dunedin as the “rabbit town,” and Commander Byrd’s hopping-off place, for the Antarctic. By yesterday’s United States mail a copy of the “Brooklyn Daily News” reached Dunedin. A public body official, after reading the paper, has decided to take immediate steps to supply the editor of the “News” with something of a very definite and tangible nature about Dunedin, in the form of illustrated brochures. Hero are some extracts from the “News-”: —

“Scotchmen tirelessly chasing and trapping rabbits, and shipping their skins to San Francisco and Brooklyn, are Dunedin’s daily bread of life. The whole town of 80,000 practically live on rabbitskins —a curious spectacle. In addition to the serious reception by city officials, there will doubtless be a no less cordial reception by numerous local cabarets, frequented by Maori girls. Incidentally, Dunedin and its surrounding territory presents a very modern appearance, and rank especially high in motor-cars per capita, but rabbits have done it all. It was the American man’s desire for hats made of rabbit hair that made Dunedin the town it is to-day, suitable for the base of the great Antarctic expedition.” A farcical collection of photographs illustrates the article. Maori blondes are shown, and a view of one'of the main streets taken in the small hours of the morning, with one pedestrian and a man in a cart, which serves to dampen the enthusiasm which might have been created in New York by the high percentage of motor-cars. It is as entertaining to Dunedinites as a night at a comedy.

Port Chalmers is given a boost with a view showing the wharves full of shipping, and the Dunedin railway station and the Law Courts are also displayed.