AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14259, 9 January 1920, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT

The following paragraph from the South Melbourne Herald will give some idea of the drought conditions in the interior of Australia; ”1 am back in Broken Hill to-day after a 15-month trip from the Gulf to Ilcrgott Springs (S.A.) with a mob of cattle,” said Mr W. Canny, pastoralist, horse-breeder, and drover. “I left Leichhardt on the Gulf of Carpentaria, 15 months ago, and reached Ilcrgott Springs, in South Australia, last month. The journey of 1100 miles was a terrible one, owing to the drought. We came most of the way through Queensland, and had little feed on the way 0 . In patches the grass was high, but it was dry and sour, and the cattle would not eat it. At one stage we were three weeks without a decent drop of water. We had a fearful time, but did very well. I left with 900 odd bullocks and cows for delivery and trucked 850 odd at Hergott. A few cows for my own property at Biltimera, near the Queensland border, were left en route. Six or seven horses were lost through want of water—the most I have lost oh a trip.” Mr Canny said that he was the only man who had come through from tho Gulf since the drought started. He had been in the Barrier district since 1873, and had never before seen things so bad north of Broken Hill and on the overland track.