Animal control and management
Livestock diseases
A History of Early South Australian Livestock Introductions, Stock Diseases and Associated Subjects ( ) by W Stephen Smith BVSc; FACVSc
Introduction WG(Bill) Giles
W Stephen (Brick) Smith was a well respected Chief Veterinary Officer in the Department of Agriculture. Having joined the Department prior to World War Two he returned from active service following the war and was appointed Chief Inspector of Stock in 1955. Further information on his career cab be found in his obituary. Following his retirement in 1973 he maintained his veterinary interests including researching the history of animal disease in South Australia. This paper provides the results of his research into early livestock introductions into South Australia, their care and the difficulties associated with the very different environment to Europe.
Stock arrived from other colonies and all over the world. Quarantine requirements were in place from soon after the colony’s establishment, however disease knowledge was limited and numerous diseases impacted on livestock production. Two of the earliest regulations were to prevent sheep scab and in cattle, pleuro-pneumonia. Rabies in dogs and foot and mouth disease in camels from India was of concern at one stage.
It is amazing that freedom from serious diseases of our domestic animals was so successful. The paper goes on to discuss a wide range of diseases which do occur in South Australia and details their introduction. It concludes with some notes on early “Disease Control Personnel”.
Eradication campaigns
Sheep scab, footrot in sheep, fruit fly and plague locusts are just a few of the diseases and pests that have attracted support from government and industry for research into their prevention or eradication.
From the early detection of diseases such as footrot in 1875 and phylloxera in vines, through to the development of control and eradication campaigns in the post-World War II era, the government and the Department of Agriculture has waged a concerted effort to keep South Australia free from the many diseases that affect livestock and crops. Otherwise, the potential of the pests and diseases to cripple the agricultural sector and the economy of South Australia would be very high.