History Notes - some floods in past years

History Notes

Well Barraba certainly “turned it on” on Saturday.  Lots of visitors everywhere – a good crowd at the markets, the motor show, the Clay Pan and in the town.  Several vintage cars drove past the markets during the day.

This week the busy time for the historical society continues with the A.G.M., a street stall and a family historian visiting on Friday.

When we see and hear all the heart break of the flooding rains throughout NSW and now Victoria it calls for a look at the drought/floods folder.  Droughts took up to half of Joe Davis’s stock on Barraba Creek Station.

Turning to the flood years there was the most rain in 1955 and 1964 – 44 inches (1100mls) and 37 inches (925mls) fell in those years in late summer destroying lots of infrastructure, but no loss of life due to residents at Banoon, Lugwardine etc. alerting Barraba police who watched the river rising and moved residents to higher ground.  Some of us can remember the water in the Corner Store, Cherry Street and over the tennis courts in 1964.

An interesting point about settlement in the Barraba district is how rarely floods reached the homes of people living by the river or creeks.  Now we find lots of towns and villages in danger as the rivers rise.  Barraba Station built in the 1860’s has always managed to be above the flood waters – probably a tribute to the old settlers who watched the waterways very carefully.