July 24: The Station cats...

Cats were first introduced to Macquarie Island by sealers, brought ashore to help protect food stores from rodents also introduced to the island by ships. No doubt they also quickly became companions to men living a harsh and lonely existence. With little food and being left to fend for themselves  some strayed and soon became wild. Whilst cats were first mentioned as living on the island in 1820, it was likely that they were present before this. By 1912 feral cats were described as being numerous.

Sir Douglas Mawson himself  in his address to the Australian Geographic Society in 1919 declared his opinion that the cats of the island were a menace to birdlife and should be exterminated.
In the 1970's it was estimated that there were  170 to 250 cats on the island killing 60,000 burrowing seabirds annually.

In 1996 the  Commonwealth and Tasmania Governments funded a five year cat eradication program, which was declared a success in 2002, and the island remains cats free today.
A few pelts hang in Tasmanian Parks office on Station, a testament to the wily hunters that prevailed on the island for almost two centuries.
This station photo from 1980 hangs on the wall in the mess, and two station cats appear, clearly companions of expeditioners.
Oh what a joy it would be to  have the company of a feline companion through the long winter. Alas the impact on wildlife here speaks for itself, and the eradication of cats from Macquarie Island has allowed many species regain a foothold  in an ecological balance upset so long ago, with the first arrival of humans.
For a wonderful read on the life of a Ranger involved in the hunting of  Feral Cats on Macquarie Island check out Feral Dilemma, by Michael Anderson, 2014.

The 1980 Macca Station crew, complete with pet cats. Photo: Jacque Comery