THOUSANDS MADE HOMELESS BY FLOODS IN CENTRAL NEW SOUTH WALES WHEN RIVERS BURST BANKS AT WEEK-END

Grey River Argus, 20 June 1949, Page 5

THOUSANDS MADE HOMELESS BY FLOODS IN CENTRAL NEW SOUTH WALES WHEN RIVERS BURST BANKS AT WEEK-END

TOWNS MAROONED AND FEARS

THAT HAWKESBURY MAY CHANGE COURSE

(Received 9.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, June 19 JAt least six people have been drowned, and three others are believed to have been lost in further violent hnd extensive floods along the central coast of New South Wales. Thousands of people now are homeless, and enormous damage has been done. Many towns still are in danger and there arc large communities who are now entirely surrounded by

flood waters. HUNTER RIVER’S RECORD HEIGHT There are very great floods in the Coal mining area of the Huner River near -Newcastle. These floods, are the most extensive ever known there. The Hunter River bursts it banks yesterday. As soon as this happened the police ordered the evacuation of some of the towns along the stream, including Singleton, with a population of five thousand. Streams of refugees from the towns poured up to higher' ground, all day yesterday. An earlier message said that heavy rains, which have not yet stopped, have caused severe floods-in rural and mining areas near Sydney. The flooding has immobilised 28 coal mines in New South Wales. MAITLAND MENACED At Maitland, which' is thirty miles down the river from Singleton, the flood is now at record height. Gangs of volunteers are there working desperately to" build flood main part of sandbags to save the main part of the town of Maitland. The lower part of Maitland is already flooded. The police have been given emergency powers to move families and to provide food, clothing and shelter for the refugees at Singleton and at Maitland also at the towns of The Entrance, Wyong and at Narrabeen. At Maitland, the Hunter River rose thirty-four feet. It reached its highest level for thirty-six years. Waves were surging from the breached banks of the river, ’and through the town of Maitland.

Series of Drownings In Rivers and Creeks

(Rec. 10.20) SYDNEY, June 19 The following fatalities as the result of the floods have so far been recorded: —

George Gardiner, aged twenty-five and Basil Clifton, aged fifteen, both farm hands, who were drowned when they attempted to cross the Hunter River on horseback in an effort to reach safety.

George Pye, aged twenty-five, lost his life in a similar manner in south Creek, near his home, at Windsor.

Esnie Gordon, aged sixteen, was drowned in Curreki Creek when she was helping a number of small children to cross the creek.

Robert Arthur, aged twenty-one, was swept away and was lost when he tried to ride a horse through Davis Creek near Aberdeen.

John Robert Wilson, aged fortytwo, an overseer at the Warragamba Dam was swept away and was drowned in the sight of his wife, when he was trying to cross the Nepean River, by means of a wire strung across the river. The Maitland police fear that three soldiers who have been engaged in rescue work have been lost. Their boat was swept across a submerged sports ground into a deep river hole and was overturned. No trace of them has been found since.

RAILWAY DISASTER NARROWLY AVERTED

' A father and his son, of the Blue Mountains, of Katoomba, averted a certain railway disaster when they noticed a washaway on the edge of a cliff on the Main Western Line, near Katoomba. Thousands of tons of earth has fallen away, leaving the rails suspended, over a two hundred foot drop. The father and son rang the Medlow Bath railway station, but they were told that an express for Sydney had already passed through Bedlow Bath. They then ran a half-mile, through blinding rain, waving their coats, and shouting to the engine driver. The train was travelling quickly when they were sighted, and it was brought to a standstill on the brink of the washaway.

Over 1500 families have been evacuated at Maitland and many of the people billetted in public

buildings.

SINGLETON EVACUATED

The Hunter River rose to a level of forty-five feet above normal at Singleton, and then it burst its banks This forced 1400 people to evacuate their homes.

The Singleton police and local residents organised a rescue party, but because of the strong current could not get to the bus. The police eventually reached it in two tanks, which were sent from the Singleton army camp.

RIVER MAY TAKE NEW COURSE

They found the passengers up to their waists in water and the bus tilted at a dangerous angle. The passengers were transferred to the tanks as the bus began 10 move under the impact of the current. The Hawkesbury River continues to rise rapidly and the small township of St. Albans is completely isol; ated. Radio warnings have advised all people on the low country along the Hunter River to leave their homes. SEVERE FLOODING

There now are fears that the Hawkesbury River may turn from its normal course and may run along a new bed, about five miles north of the town of Windsor.

Severe flooding is reported in the Gosford-Wyong area, where the Wyong River has broken its banks and if flooding the low-lying tryAt Cassnock, where parts of the town are five feet under water, eight men, who had taken pit ponies below in readiness for the day’s work, were trapped in a mine. Rescue parties got them out, but two were taken to hospital. COASTAL FLOODING

Floods over the coastal districts have isolated homes and have caused heavy damage to crops. Swollen by heavy rain and driven by a 70-miles-an-hour gale the Hunter River broke its banks at Raymond Terrace early this morning. The water flooded shops and houses in low-lying areas and squads stood by with boats in preparation for emergency rescues The police reported that people were leaving their homes for higher ground but no lives were in immediate danger. Two Matilda tanks rescued 27 passengers from a tourist bus which was swept off the roaci near Singleton. The bus attempted to negotiate a patch of water on the road about four feet deep and more than 200 yards wide. The water swept the bus into a nearby creek, which was running strongly, and lodged it against a fence.

ELEVEN INCHES OF RAIN FOP. WEEK

There has been unprecedented rain during the past week. It has brought the city of Sydney to within a few points of an all-time rainfall record for June. Already over 1566 points of rain have fallen, as compared with the June record, of 1630 points, which was established in the year ISBS. Of this, over eleven inches of rain fell last week.

SERIOUS EFFECtS ON SYDNEY

Other results of the floods, the rain and the stormy weather are that the city of Sydney will be without gas to-morrow. Milk for the city is in very short supply.

The train services between Sydney and Brisbane have been stopped. This is because of wash-outs.. Eggs will be scarce because of the lareg number of fowls that have been drowned in the floods, and the vegetable crops of the areas have been severely damaged. No shisp left Sydney on Saturday because of there being heavy seas, and the Manly ferry boats ceased running for the day.