The Country Hour "The Country Hour". In 1951, the Victorian edition of "The Country Hour" broke the news of the decision to introduce the Myxoma virus into Australia in a bid to control the wild rabbit population, after Ian Clunies Ross told rural reporter Graham White about the plan. In 2015, "The Country Hour" celebrated its 70th anniversary, prompting tributes from well-known figures and a mention in the Parliament of Australia when Western Australian Senator Dean Smith reflected on the rural issues and events that had been covered by "The Country Hour" particularly in Western Australia. A special national edition of "The Country
Critter Country was themed to the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Country Bear Jamboree, which opened three weeks later, was the new land's centerpiece attraction. Bear Country was also home to the Golden Bear Lodge, an eatery which was renamed Hungry Bear Restaurant in 1977, the Mile Long Bar refreshment center, Teddi Barra's Swingin' Arcade, and Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes. Bear Country was renamed Critter Country in 1988 in anticipation of Splash Mountain's January 1989 opening. Critter Country was inspired by a quote from the 1946 film "Song of the South": "Where the folks are closer to the critters and the critters