The Gunnedah region has a long history of flood. This snippet from the 1920s describes some of the flooding experiences from 100 years ago, including that of drover whose 2000 travelling sheep, worth 4000 pounds, were swept away.
According to reports, the drover had camped them on the travelling stock route between Boggabri and the large property Milchengowrie on the Tuesday night. The dry gully nearby was turned into a strong, river overnight, and lie was cut off between the gully and the river.
The drover tried ineffectually to get them off the island, but the river rose higher, and the 2000 animals were swept away.
A report in the Daily Observer of July 7, 1920, described the flood as ‘long remembered throughout the north-west’.
The report continued: “About 10 inches or more rain fell in a few days, and the flood came so quickly that the losses, “when they are fully known, will be very serious”.
The whole of the north-west has been affected, and over large stretches of country in the basin of the Namoi, the great tributary of the Barwon, there are areas of water up to 20 miles wide.
Towns along the Namoi have been flooded without exception, and many families have been rendered temporarily homeless. The damage to the railway lines, bridges and culverts is very heavy, and the line from Narrabri to Walgett and Collarenebri will not be open for traffic for a week or more.
Trains to and from Sydney are held up at Werris Creek and Gunnedah, passengers are living and sleeping in these trains, and town refugees at Gunnedah, Narrabri, and Wee Waa are living in police and railway barracks and hotels above flood level.
The tributary of rivers and creeks feeding the Namoi are in high flood.
The Peel River from the Great Dividing Range, the Mooki River and Cox’s Creek, draining the Liverpool Plains, came down suddenly on Thursday and the Namoi, rising feet hourly, overflowed across miles of country.
A deluge fell over the bare drought-stricken Liverpool Plains and the Mooki River’s muddy, sluggish stream, was whipped in a few hours into a great broad flood, increasing in volume, until it poured from three to 12 miles wide across the plains, where it joined the flood waters of the Namoi near Gunnedah.
Police warnings were given promptly and homesteads were deserted, after sheep had, where possible, been taken to any high ground above the plains.
The bridge over the Mooki near Breeza was seriously damaged, and the approaches for five chains was completely washed out, thus cutting off the whole north-western system from the main northern line.
The lower parts of Gunnedah were under water, which although slowly receding, the water police boats sent to the rescue were rowed down Maitland Street.
Some houses were washed out, the waters reaching nearly to the eaves; and many people are camped in hotels and halls on the high ground.
Between Breeza and Gunnedah there is water right across the plains for about 10 miles. From Gunnedah to Boggabri the Namoi waters are flooding the low country for miles, and any stock left there would be drowned. Some old hands on the Namoi at Boggabri had their sheep swept away, not expecting danger for another 48 hours. The Tamworth and Manilla waters generally cause the Namoi floods and take two or three days to reach Boggabri, but the present flood came suddenly in one night.
At Narrabri, where the North-West line branches to Moree and Walgett, the Namoi swept over the parts of the town situated on the low ground between the main town and Narrabri West. All people living there had
to leave, and hundreds of refugees were camped in the goods shed and railway station and hotels at Narrabri West. The water was 5ft deep in the main street of Narrabri, and
there was 4ft of water in the Club House Hotel. The whole town was encircled by water, which broke away from Narrabri Creek and swept past the hospital and the station round the town again to the river, the waters reached across the main street up to Barwon-street, but fell during Saturday night, and Maitland Street was partially clear of water at midday on Sunday. Wee Waa, further
out, is in a bad way, practically all the town being flooded. The water is over the lagoon bridge and people in town have taken refuge on the second floors of the hotels, and at the railway station, which is high.
Tamworth narrowly escaped a flood on Friday night. The Peel was nearly a banker on Saturday afternoon.
The whole district is literally a swamp, and farmers are now anxious about the early sown crops. A number of weak stock were drowned int he creeks and rivers, and on Saturday a horse, with saddle and bridle, was washed down the Peel.
Some 62 persons, many of whom are without food, money or blankets, are held up in trains at Werris Creek.
Latest reports to hand state that the Barwon and Namoi rivers are still rising.
