From what I can gather from historical records of the Canberra region it was an area abundant with native species. By far more than today. Our impact over the first 100 years saw the decimation of species such as the tiger cat with the Brushtailed Wallaby and Koala hunted to extinction. I am sure wild dogs had their impact as well.

Dingos were a particular problem with complaints dating to the 1830's with Shepherds continuously on guard on any flock. They were the bane of landowners and at Lanyon convicts were flogged if a dingo killed stock under their care.

From a post Lanyon Cemetery relating to 1837 -
'Oral tradition suggests that William Wright's was the first grave, and that the coffin had to be weighed down with large stones to protect it from attack by dingos (native dogs).


Some video I took on a walk up Simpson's Hill...