Introduction of rabbits to Australia. Australia’s temperate conditions — general lack of seasons and little cold — and huge swaths of natural low vegetation make for an ideal rabbit home, so much so that the perennially-breeding creatures destroyed two million acres of floral lands in Victoria before they were even spotted in another state. They are the most widespread and destructive pest animal ever introduced into Australia threatening the survival of many native plants and animals. In 1859, European wild rabbits were introduced into Australia so they could be hunted for sport. The first rabbits, numbering just five, arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Initially, European rabbits were brought to Australia on the First Fleet but it is not known why. Here are the key reasons why these animals and pets were introduced in this country. The European rabbit was brought to Australia as a companion animal by early settlers. After destroying two million acres of Victoria's floral lands, they traversed across the states of New South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. Top Answer. There is no evidence that they were either eaten or hunted for sport in the Sydney area. The proliferation of rabbits was the fastest of an introduced mammal anywhere in the world. There's multiple factors why the rabbits spread so quickly in Australia, but the most important ones are: - Quick reproduction rate; Unlike the native marsupials that have a very slow reproduction rate, the rabbits have a very quick one, so in a very short period of time they manage to outnumber the local population, and thus eat their food, and occupy their shelters. They were originally introduced to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788, but the current major infestation appears to be the result of 24 wild rabbits released by Thomas Austin on his Barwon Heads property in 1859 for hunting purposes. Rabbits were introduced to Australia and had few predators, because they were foreign to the continent. It sometimes escaped, but failed to survive in the Australian bush. From just 24 animals they now number 300 million. They did not cause any problems, or become a pest at this stage. The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is an introduced species, which was first brought to Australia with the First Fleet in 1788 as domesticated livestock. Current Australian distribution. Rabbits were introduced to Australia to act as a food source for colonists. Many other farms released their rabbits into the wild after Austin. Rabbits prefer to live in areas with short grasses, including natural grasslands and rural pastures. By 1890, rabbits were spotted all the way in Western Australia. The rabbits started to migrate across Australia at a rate of 80 miles a year. In the 18 th century, the European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were introduced in Australia.The first fleet arrived in 1778 by the European colonialist for several reasons. In 1879 wild rabbits were deliberately sent to Victoria to provide game for wealthy settlers to shoot. Initially, European rabbits were brought to Australia on the First Fleet but it is not known why. The rate of spread of the rabbit in Australia is believed to be the fastest of any colonising mammal in the world 1.