The 1934 flood on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp - report from The Argus of December 6, 1934

This report of the 1934 flood was in The Argus of December 6, 1934 (see here.) The reports from The Argus of  December 3, can be read here and from December 4 & 5, here.  There are photographs of the flood here, here and here.

The Argus, Thursday, December 6, 1934, see here.

DR. SHIELDS VISITS STRICKEN DISTRICTS

PROGRESS AT KOO-WEE-RUP

400 MEN CLEARING TOWNSHIP

2,000 Carcases Floated to Sea

Hundreds of dead cattle and sheep, ruined asparagus and potato crops, grazing lands covered with slime, bridges and plantations swept away, mud inches thick in houses, and business almost at a stand-still in the main street these are some of the impressions received by the Minister in Charge of Sustenance (Dr. Shields) when he visited Koo-wee-rup yesterday. "The trail of ruin left by the floods presented a terrible scene," he said. "It was difficult to believe that such devastation was possible."

Dr. Shields, who was accompanied by the secretary of the department (Mr. F. W. Frawley), went first to Bunyip, where he discussed the position with the municipal authorities. He found that 150 families were in distress, but they were all receiving, clothing, and shelter. Dr. Shields arranged for men to be employed cleaning out the houses and for the disposal of 200 head of dead stock.

Flood waters in the Bunyip River had caused great damage to bridges, Dr. Shields said. Banks 12ft. in height at either end of the bridge on the Nar-nar-goon road had been scoured away, leaving the bridge isolated in the middle of the torrent. Foundations around the piles of the Bunyip railway bridge had been washed away, making it unsafe for trains. Farm land near by was reappearing as the waters subsided. Many stories of bravery had been told. Two men had crawled across the flooded railway lines
with school children who had been cut off from the town on their backs.

At Bayles, Monomeith, and Lang Lang Dr. Shields found that the damage was less extensive. At Koo-wee-rup the flood had receded, and the town was free from water. Houses had been hosed out, and were drying before the return of their owners. Progress was so good tht it was expected the women and children, who were being given shelter in Dandenong, would be able to return by Saturday morning. About 400 men were cleaning shops and houses and removing dead stock.

"More than 2,000 carcases including cows sheep pigs goats and poultry have already been disposed of," he continued. "The carcases have been thrown into the main canal and floated down to Westernport. There are still about 1,000 dead animals in the district but some of these will have to be buried.

Feast for Sharks
The party was told that the carcases would be devoured readily by sharks which were plentiful in the northern end of Westernport. One resident said that they were so numerous that fishermen were afraid to put out in small craft. Countless hundreds of chickens and fowls have been destroyed by the floods. Only the dogs seem to have escaped. These are ravenously hungry and fight for scraps of food when it is thrown to them.

Water Supply in Danger
Serious difficulty had arisen over the town 's water supply Dr Shields said. The pump in the water tower on the main canal was three feet under water and could not be operated. Arrangements were being made to send two railway trucks with drinking water to-day. Supplies of firewood would also be sent as they were running short. All in need had received clothing and fresh food. Men on relief work rates would receive their first pay on Saturday by which time the stores would again be open. Dr Shields said that it was useless for other men to come to the town seeking work. All who were needed had been engaged and any who arrived would be ejected by the police.

Rates on Flooded land
Dr Shields said that a valuable asparagus crops which were worth £80 an acre had been ruined by the flood waters. The municipal valuation was £20 an acre and a rate of 4/3 in the £1 was imposed. Potato crops had been dug since the waters had receded and almost all were ruined. One farmer had lost 120 acres of potatoes As the yield was about six tons an acre and the product worth between £8 and £10 a ton the extent of the losses could be realised.

"The main canal at Koo wee rup which has always been regarded as safe against erosion because of the vegetation along its banks is showing signs of erosion." Dr Shields continued, "Siltation is occurring and in one place there is between 10 and 12 feet of sand."

The chairman of the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (Mr R. H. Horsfield) estimated yesterday that the damage to the commissions works in the Koo wee rup district amounted to £5,000. One bridge, he said, over a large canal had been lifted bodily by the flood and deposited on a farm some distance away.

The 1934 flood on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp - reports from The Argus of December 4 & 5, 1934

These reports of the 1934 flood were in The Argus of December 4 & 5, 1934. The report from The Argus of December 3, can be read here and from December 6, here. There are photographs of the flood here, here and here.

The Argus, Tuesday, December 4, 1934, see here.

VAST DAMAGE IN WAKE OF FLOODS

THOUSANDS OF VICTIMS STILL HOMELESS

RELIEF TRAIN REACHES KOO-WEE-RUP

REHABILITATION OF TOWNSHIP BEGINS

Leaving in their wake scenes of desolation unprecedented in the history of the State, flood waters in all the stricken areas began to recede yesterday. Five thousand people are still homeless, and most of them are likely to remain so for some days. 

Upon the arrival of the relief train at Koo-wee-rup yesterday, immediate arrangements were made by the Minister in Charge of Sustenance (Dr. Shields) on behalf of the Government for the rehabilitation of the township and the surrounding district, following the disastrous flood which rendered the inhabitants homeless on Sunday. 

Incalculable damage has been done in the township of Koo-wee-rup and to hundreds of farms, and the work of reconstruction will take several months. The women and children have taken refuge at Dandenong and other centres, and it is the Government's wish that they should remain away from Koo-wee-rup until conditions are again normal.

HOMELESS MEN ENLISTED TO CLEAN UP TOWNSHIP

BY OUR SPECIAL REPORTER

Within half an hour of the arrival of the relief train at 1.35 p.m. yesterday the Minister for Public Assistance (Dr. Shields) had surveyed the flooded town ship of Koo-wee-rup by using a rowing boat and a motor-car. He then made arrangements for sustenance to be provided for the 4,000 flood victims in the town and district, and put into immediate operation a plan of reconstruction.

After having expressed sincere admiration for the fortitude and cheerfulness of the people, Dr. Shields assured the crowd of about 200 who had remained on the railway station or on the roofs of houses, and the privileged few who occupied the upper floors of the hotel and the bank - the only two-story buildings in the town - that the Government of Victoria would accept responsibility for the repair of damage done by flood water. The question of compensating settlers for the loss of their live stock and crops and the contents of their homes would receive the most sympathetic consideration of the Cabinet. The first work to be done was the removal of the carcases of the thousands of dead cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, and poultry. That had been begun already. The carcases would be dragged to the main canal, floated down on rafts to Westernport Bay, where they would be cut up and deposited in the sea.

Men to Clean Up Own Town

Dr. Shields said that all the homeless men in the district had been enlisted by his department as relief workers. They would be paid wages to clean up the town. More than 60 were at work already that afternoon, and another 150 men who had been rescued and taken to Dandenong, would be brought back by an early train to-day and given work. Until the debris was removed and the sanitation and water supply restored, it would be better that the women and children, who had been provided with food and shelter in Dandenong and elsewhere, should stay away. All the fit men would be brought back to prepare for the return of their families, and when conditions in the town were normal, with the shops stocked with food supplies and clothing, the population would be permitted to return. In the meantime the Government asked all but authorised relief workers to stay away. The families of the relief workers would be returned to their homes at the expense of the Government. In the meantime everyone in the district would be supplied with food, and those in special need with clothing. Relief workers would not receive their wages until the shops reopened. Dr. Shields said that many men and women from the adjoining towns and farms, particularly the fishermen from Tooradin, who had navigated their boats

through the floods, had rendered great assistance to their unfortunate neighbours. The flood had brought forth the best Australian qualities of prompt action, unselfishness, and help to others.

Canvas Town for Relief Workers

The relief train which brought Dr. Shields and the chairman of the State Rivers and Water Commission (Mr. R. H. Horsfield), with Dr. Paul Rowan, of the Health Commission, and other relief officials, was the first to reach the railway station since Friday.

The train brought food supplies for three days, and some clothing. Another train was sent last night with 100 tents, blankets, hydrants for hosing the houses and streets, and other plant for cleaning operations. Most of the relief workers slept last night in the goods shed at the railway station. A canvas town will spring up to-day, and the men will remain under canvas until the immediate work of reconstruction is complete.

Dr. Shields decided that school should not be opened before the Christmas holidays. Provision will be made for pupils to sit for their merit certificates and scholarships at other schools. 

It was officially announced last night that the Health Commission had declared all shops and dwellings in Koo-wee-rup unfit for habitation until they had been cleaned and disinfected. Owners or occupiers will be informed when they may be occupied again. Prompt measures have been taken by the police to protect the town against people who may come there seeking free sustenance during the period of reconstruction.

On every hand there were expressions of thankfulness that the flood came in the early hours of Saturday, when many people were awake and able to raise the alarm. Senior-constable Whiteside, who, assisted by recruits from the police depot and scores of volunteers from Tooradin and elsewhere, led the rescue work, said that had the flood arrived in the middle of the night the death roll would have amounted to hundreds. Of the 600 inhabit ants of the town of Koo-wee-rup and about 3,500 settled on farms on the reclaimed swamp. Senior-constable Whiteside said that all had been accounted for except an unknown elderly man who had been camped near the main canal. It was believed that he was washed away after having refused to heed the warning that the flood was coming.

The Government will supply chaff for surviving cattle marooned on hills which are still surrounded by flood.

Telephone communication with Koo-wee-rup has been restored. The first motor-car to reach Koo-wee-rup contained the chief linesman from Lang Lang (Mr. J. Cuneen) and his two assistants Messrs D. Donaldson and J. Dixon. They drove for more than two miles through flood waters by the device of taking off the radiator fan, pulling rubber caps over the distributer, the oil intake, and other parts, and driving with the engine submerged. Water at one stage was 4 inches above the floor of the car. From the railway station they were taken across to the town by boat. The water was still 5 feet deep in the post office but the post mistress (Mrs Hamilton) remained in the town and yesterday afternoon she sorted the mails again. The telephone exchange is still submerged.

"Merged Into One Great Flood"

After an inspection of the whole Koo-wee-rup area yesterday accompanied by his district engineer (Mr Lupson) and the engineer of the Shire of Cranbourne (Mr Cockroft) the chairman of the State Rivers and Water Commission (Mr R. H. Horsfield) said that the rapidity with which the waters were draining after the catastrophe demonstrated that the drainage system although unable to cope with an unprecedented flood was more than enough for ordinary floods. Six rivers and creeks and all their tributaries over an area of 500 square miles had brought down the torrents from a deluge varying from 10 to 12 inches of rain in a few days. All the waters had merged into one great flood and had been thrown with unparalleled swiftness on to an area of about 100,000 acres. The drainage system could not cope with that. The banks could be repaired with little cost.

The Argus, Tuesday, December 4, 1934, see here.

TALES OF TRAGEDY 

AND HEROISM

From Our Special Representatives

KOO-WEE-RUP, Tuesday. - Fire brought a new terror to flood-stricken Koo-wee-rup early today, when the home of Mr A. J. Gilchrist, carrier, suddenly went up in flames and was burnt to the water level. Hundreds of homeless townspeople camped at the railway station looked on, powerless to fight the 30ft flames which cast a lurid light on the flooded streets. The fire began when several blankets laid out in front of the house to dry caught alight.Mr Gilchrist was alone in the house. His wife and children are among the refugees in Dandenong. They had already lost most of their belongings, including a truck and car. On Saturday, Mr Gilchrist was nearly drowned while heading a rescue party on horseback.

KOO-WEE-RUP, Tuesday.- The streets of Koo-wee-rup are now free of water, but surrounding paddocks are still submerged. Rooms are being hosed out bodies of dead animals removed, and debris and litter cleared away. About 150 men have been enlisted for the work. The Johnson and McMillan families, and their eight children, sought refuge on Saturday in the rafters of Johnson's house. All 12 persons lay on one mattress strung across the rafters, until they were rescued yesterday afternoon. They were practically without food for two days.

Wrecked by Cattle
The house of Mr Stanley, editor of the shire newspaper, at Koo-wee-rup was wrecked when a herd of terror-stricken cattle broke in and smashed furniture and china. The first car to make a complete journey to the Koo-wee-rup swamp area thus morning was The Herald car, which travelled by way of Tooradin,Lang Lang, Koo-wee-rup township and Pakenham. Miles of road and fences have been destroyed. Paddocks are strewn with dead stock. Starving chickens are perched in dozens on farmhouse roofs. A swarm of bees was seen clinging to a branch above flooded hives.

Hardly a house on the swamp is inhabited. The only sign of life among the ruined crops and pastures are a few mobs of lost cattle, and here and there knots of homeless persons surveying the remains of their farms.

The Argus, Tuesday, December 4, 1934, see here.

POTATO CROPS

DAMAGE BY FLOODS

12,000 ACRES DESTROYED

SERIOUS SHORTAGE FEARED

Melbourne potato merchants said yesterday that floods in the Koo-wee-rup and Trafalgar districts and other low-lying potato-growing areas in Gippsland had destroyed 11,000 to 12,000 acres of potato crops representing a loss of from 40,000 to 50,000 tons of potatoes. As the crops in these areas have been under water for some days a merchant considered that no potatoes would be obtained from Koo-wee-rup.

The flood occurred at a time when growers would be unable to obtain seed for replanting he added. The areas affected supplied the bulk of the potatoes for Melbourne in the first five months of the year and Melbourne consumers would have to rely upon supplies grown in the Western district and in the Gippsland hill country. It is feared that there will be a temporary shortage of potatoes in the immediate future because growers in the Brighton district are unable to dig their crops. Owing to scant supplies in the market yesterday prices increased 20/ to 30/ a ton. Brighton Carmens were quoted at £10 to £11 and prime old season's redsoil potatoes at £7 to £7/1 a ton.

 The Argus, Wednesday, December 5, 1934,  see here.

BUSINESS AT STANDSTILL AT KOO-WEE-RUP

200 MEN CLEANING TOWN

KOO-WEE-RUP, Tuesday. - About 200 men were engaged to-day cleaning out business premises and houses. Business is at a standstill, and shops will not be allowed to reopen until passed by the

Health Commission. The houses are uninhabitable.

DANDENONG, Tuesday. - All the men refugees from the flooded areas of Koo-wee-rup, who had been cared for in the Scout Hall, Dandenong, returned to Koo-wee-rup this morning to help in the work of reconstruction. Several more refugees were brought to Dandenong last night and given clothing and food. One man, who had not removed his rubber waders since Friday night, was in a serious condition, and he was admitted to a private hospital.

The special committee of men and women appointed to carry out relief work in Dandenong gave splendid service in administering relief to sufferers at the Scout Hall. The Colonial Gas Association installed several gas-stoves to provide hot food and drinks to the refugees. After the men victims returned to Koo-wee-rup this morning a quantity of surplus clothing and foodstuffs in the Scout Hall was sent to Bunyip for distribution among sufferers in that area.

The 1934 flood on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp - report from The Argus of December 3, 1934

This report of the 1934 flood was in The Argus of Monday, December 3, 1934 (see here.) The reports from The Argus of December 4 & 5, can be read here and from December 6, here. There are photographs of the flood here, here and here.

The Argus, Monday, December 3, 1934, see here.

TOLL OF DISASTROUS FLOODS

MANY DEAD; THOUSANDS HOMELESS

DESOLATION IN GIPPSLAND

KOO-WEE-RUP TOWNSHIP EVACUATED

YARRA CAUSES UNPRECEDENTED DAMAGE

Many lives were lost and thousands of persons were rendered homeless during the week-end in the most disastrous floods ever known in Victoria. Damage done to property is beyond calculation. 

Koo-wee-rup township was overwhelmed when flood waters burst the main channels through the swamp and inundated 20 square miles of closely settled farming country. Six persons were drowned, and about 2,000 persons are homeless. The township was evacuated, four relief trains carrying refugees to various centres. Many persons clung to the roofs of their homes for hours before they were rescued.

In many other parts of Gippsland the flood waters rose, rolling over farm lands, submerging homes, and bringing desolation and distress to hundreds of homes. 

Countless deeds of heroism were performed in rescuing the victims of the floods. A party of fishermen from Lakes Entrance, with police, rowed for miles in swiftly flowing, debris-filled water in the Moe and Trafalgar districts, and saved many lives.

Distress scarcely less acute was suffered in the metropolitan area. At Chelsea 1,500 persons are homeless. About 600 women and children were rescued in boats and lorries. Many of the residents affected were aged or ill.

The River Yarra rose to unprecedented levels and caused untold damage to property. At Warrandyte 40 houses had to be vacated. About 300 persons at Richmond and residents at many other suburbs along the river had to leave their homes.

RESIDENTS OF KOO-WEE-RUP SPEND NIGHT ON ROOFS

Feared That Six Lives Were Lost

TOWN EVACUATED; SPECIAL TRAINS FOR VICTIMS

(By Our Special Reporter.)

Bursting the main drainage channels through the Koo-wee-rup Swamp, flood waters from the hill country to the north Inundated about 20 square miles of closely settled farming country on Saturday morning and flooded the township of Koo-wee-rup. Six persons have been drowned and 2,000 others are homeless. The water rose at the rate of about 1ft. a minute.

The township has been evacuated, and four relief trains sent from Melbourne have carried the residents away from the flooded area. Several hundreds were taken to Dandenong, and others went to other areas of safety, some even to Melbourne where they were quartered. The flood is the most disastrous that has occurred in the district.

Two men, both thought to be farmers, were drowned near Bunyip. They were Councillor John Dowd, formerly president of the Berwick Shire, and a man whose, name was Jolly. George Wilson, of Iona who was drowned near Garfield. The body of a man named Williams was recovered at Garfield yesterday morning by Constable Jordan. The body of John Samwell, aged about 55 years, sustenance worker, was seen by Mr John Hickey being carried by the flood waters toward the main drain in the Koo-wee-rup Swamp. Mr Hickey, who is aged 70 years, was rescued after he had clung to a tree for 28 hours. Gordon Nash, aged 14 years, of Tonimbuk, was drowned in Diamond Creek.

Following heavy rain, which fell during Friday night, there was about 3 inches of water in the streets of the town at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The water rose so rapidly that in three-quarters of an hour its depth had increased to 7ft., and the residents of Koo-wee-rup were trapped almost without warning. It continued to rise until every single-story house was covered, and only the roofs of two-story buildings remained above water by early afternoon. As the waters rose the towns-people removed their furniture to the lofts
of their homes, but their efforts to save their property were futile, and few of them are known to have escaped with more than their lives. They had to rush from their houses and climb to the roofs, where they had to cling for hours before they could be rescued. Many of them had harrowing experiences. A large number were able to reach the station platform, where there was comparative safety, before the water became too deep for them to wade. Here they built rafts from logs and gathered boats with which they rescued as many people as possible.

The residents of Dandenong have provided clothing and shelter for more than 200 people who have been brought to them. At Dandenong refugees have been billeted with many of the residents of the town, and in the Armitage Scout Hall. Many others are in private hospitals, some of them suffering seriously from shock, exposure, and immersion. Very few of the rescued persons escaped without suffering lacerations and abrasions during the battering they received from the flood waters while on the roofs of their houses. Many families have become separated, and parents who are safely accommodated do not know whether their children are alive.

Small Girl's Escape
At 7.30 a.m. on Saturday a small girl walked out of her house on to the road where the water was a foot deep. She walked 200 yards to the railway station to give an alarm. When she reached the station the water was up to her neck. In some places the water soon rose to a depth of 30ft., covering the house-tops of settlers on the swamp and wrecking their homes. According to farmers, horses and cattle were carried by the floods toward Westernport Bay. Thousands of cattle and sheep were drowned. In Koo-wee-rup dead cows were swept into the houses.

One of the main channels draining the swamp is at Cora Lynn, the other is at Yallock Creek, two miles away. As the water rose drains broke and the flood swept over the country. The waters are spreading toward Lang Lang. Dairy farmers on the swamp, many of whom have up to 100 head of cattle, have lost all their animals. Potato fields have been ruined.

Food and Blankets for Homeless.
Blankets, bread, and tinned meat were rushed to Dandenong by the State Relief Committee. Residents of the town, however, rose to the occasion magnificently and provided shelter, food, and clothing for the sufferers. Half-naked men and women who have arrived are to be given every possible care. There was about a foot of water in the main street of the township late last night. Cuts have been made in the rail way embankment, which has prevented the escape of water to the bay, and the flood is now running down to the sea.

Water Infested With Snakes
Saturday night was a night of terror for the persons marooned on the housetops. The waters were infested with hundreds of swimming snakes, which tried to reach the roofs. The stranded persons had to fight them off with sticks as well as try to keep themselves above the level of the flood.

Koo-wee-rup Hospital was flooded to a depth of 7ft within a few minutes, and the patients, some of whom were seriously ill, were trapped before they could be moved. Mr Clarence Renner, who had undergone an operation for appendicitis a few hours beforehand, was in bed, and unable to help himself. His father, who was on the railway platform, waded and swam through the swirling water to the hospital, and climbed on to the roof, where with the the assistance of Mr Gannon, he cut a hole in the galvanised iron and pulled his boy to safety up through the hole. Aided by others who came to the rescue, the 10 remaining patients in the wards were taken out in the same manner.

Heroism and Fortitude
Mrs Mary Ann Bolleman, aged 59 years another patient held a baby in her arms above the water for 15 hours with the water surging above her neck before they were rescued. Mrs A. Adams and her baby which was born only the night before were being pulled out when the child was dropped into the water. She grasped the child's clothing frantically and saved it from drifting away. Both were raised through the opening to safety. Joseph Lee an elderly man was caught unawares by the water while in an open paddock but after being swept for some distance was able to scramble to safety on the roof of a shed. He was joined by another man. After remaining on the roof for several hours with the water surging round them, Lee's companion, whose name is not known, was carried away and drowned, but Lee remained there for 30 hours and was in a state of collapse when rescued. He was placed in Murray House private hospital, at Dandenong, where is is suffering from shock and exposure. His condition is serious. Mr. J. F. Brewer chemist of Koo-wee-rup, with his wife and two children, were caught almost unawares. Seizing a few clothes hurriedly they climbed to the top of the shop, where they stayed for several hours before they could be taken off.

The residents of Dandenong made a magnificent response to appeals to accommodate the refugees. The day before Koo-wee-rup was evacuated they had been engaged in rescuing persons and property from any houses in their own district which had been flooded. On Saturday night only straw mattresses and blankets were available for the victims, many of whom were dressed only in their night clothes. Last night every woman had been provided with a bed in the homes of residents of the town. The men slept in the Scout Hall, but under much better conditions. Admirable co-operation by the townspeople enabled sufficient food to be obtained for them.

Many Refugees at Garfield
A report from Garfield last night stated that hundreds of people are homeless there and were taking refuge in the Mechanics' institute and the hotel. Rescues were effected by police from barns and isolated houses. Mr. Patrick Brennan a resident of the town has been missing since Friday night, and as his horse and jinker have been found fears are felt for his safety.

The telephone operator at the Koo-wee-rup post-office remained on duty at the switchboard until the water entered his office and washed the switchboard away.

Drowned While Asleep
George Wilson an old-age pensioner of Iona near Garfield, was found dead in his hut, which adjoins the main drain It is believed that he was drowned while asleep. Gordon Nash, aged 14 years of Tonimbuk was drowned in Diamond Creek. His body was swept downstream and disappeared.

Koo Wee Rup Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital evacuated in the December 1934 flood

The worst flood in the history of Koo Wee Rup occurred on December 1, 1934 and the Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital had to be evacuated. I was hoping that the local paper, the Koo Wee Rup Sun, which was published weekly, would have had an account of this,  however they did not produce an issue until December 20, 1934. As they reported -
It is rather late for us to have anything to say in regard to the ruinous flood which occurred on the 1st inst., and which day no doubt in the future will be known as “Watery Saturday." We, like all others in the township, came in for more than our share of Adam's ale. The plant was inundated in over 4ft of water; type was carried by the strong current out of open doors, and hardly a dry sheet of paper was available after the bottled-up waters had receded sufficiently on the 3rd inst. to regain admittance. Being prisoners on the roof of the Premises for over 16 hours, one did not care about writing “Sun Spots” (1). 

However, there was this report in The Argus about the evacuation of the Hospital
Koo-wee-rup Hospital was flooded to a depth of 7ft within a few minutes, and the patients, some of whom were seriously ill, were trapped before they could be moved. Mr Clarence Renner, who had undergone an operation for appendicitis a few hours beforehand, was in bed, and unable to help himself. His father, who was on the railway platform, waded and swam through the swirling water to the hospital, and climbed on to the roof, where with the assistance of Mr Gannon, he cut a hole in the galvanised iron and pulled his boy to safety up through the hole. Aided by others who came to the rescue, the 10 remaining patients in the wards were taken out in the same manner.
Heroism and Fortitude
Mrs Mary Ann Bolleman, aged 59 years, another patient, held a baby in her arms above the water for 15 hours with the water surging above her neck before they were rescued. Mrs A. Adams and her baby which was born only the night before were being pulled out when the child was dropped into the water. She grasped the child's clothing frantically and saved it from drifting away. Both were raised through the opening to safety. (2). 

Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital in a flood; must be the 1924 as in 1929, an enclosed verandah was erected around the original building. 

Image: Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society 

The report mentions four people by name and I thought we would look at who they were.

Clarence Fenner
Clarence's surname was listed as Renner in The Argus report, but listed as Clarence Fenner in a Morwell Advertiser report (3) about the evacuation. As I cannot find any reference anywhere to a Clarence Renner, I believe this is actually Clarence Charles Fenner, born February 6, 1919 to Charles Stanley Victor and Esther (nee Burden) Fenner in Frankston, so he would have been about 15 during the flood (4). 

Charles was listed in the Electoral Roll as a contractor and the family were living in Frankston, when Clarence was born. They then spent a few years in Morwell in the early to mid 1920s, where perhaps Charles was employed on State Electricity Commission projects such as the construction of the Yallourn Power Station. The family then moved around various Melbourne suburbs, until the early 1940s when they lived at 30 Sutton Grove in Richmond. Clarence, or Clarrie, as he was called, had three older brothers - Harold, who worked for the Brighton Gasworks Company and tragically died in 1927 when he fell 30 feet whilst constructing a new gasometer; and Stanley and Frank (5). 

Clarrie, whose occupation was a driver, married Evelyn Smith in 1937 and enlisted in the Army in June 1940 and was discharged in October 1945. From the 1960s, the Electoral Rolls show the family was living at 1 Biran Court, in Reservoir. Clarence died March 6, 1999 and is buried at Fawkner Cemetery with his son Brian (1947-2013). His wife Evelyn who died in 1980 is buried in the adjoining grave with their son Stanley (1939-1963) (6). 

Why was Clarrie having an operation at the Koo Wee Rup Hospital in 1934 when, according to the Electoral Rolls, his parents were living in the suburbs of Melbourne? The doctor in Koo Wee Rup was Dr Alan Hewitt and in Lang Lang, Dr Sydney Appleford, so the family may have had a connection to either doctor or there was possibly a family member in the town, who could have visited him, but I don't the reason. I wonder how many times during his life, Clarrie told people the exciting story of being evacuated through the roof at the Koo Wee Rup Hospital? It was very fortunate that Charles Renner and Mr Gannon had the nous and the ability to cut a whole in the roof to enable the rescue of the patients. 

Mr Gannon
Helped Mr Fenner rescue his son through the roof. I can’t find a Gannon listed on the Electoral Rolls in the area during this time, so he remains a mystery.

Mrs Mary Ann Bolleman

Mrs Bolleman, known as Madge, held a baby for 15 hours. We do not know who the baby was.
Mary Ann was born in Glengarry in 1874, the only child Agabus and Sarah (nee McAuley) Barden (7). Agabus, died on August 12, 1903 as a result of an accident whilst riding his horse. Sarah died the next year on July 1, 1904 and she was buried with her husband at the Traralgon Cemetery. 

The death notice of Agabus Barden

Gippsland Farmer's Journal, August 18, 1903 

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/264475283/29600346

The obituary of Sarah Barden

Gippsland Farmer's Journal July 5, 1904 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article264512746

On July 10, 1904, just over a week after her mother died, Mary Ann married fellow Gippslander,  George Henry James Bolleman.  The ceremony was conducted by the Methodist Minister in Morwell. They had the following children -

· Melchoir Francois Albert, known as Francis or Frank, born in 1908 in South Melbourne. He died in Dandenong in 1986, aged 74.
· Marie Agnes. Born in 1910, in Foster; married Maxwell Timmins in 1929 and she died in Drouin in 1954, aged 44.
· Florence Mary. Born in 1912 in Leongatha; married Albert Herbert in 1929 and she died in Melbourne in 1946, aged 35.
George Bolleman died in 1918, aged 37 in Pound Creek (near Inverloch), leaving Mary Ann to raise her three young children alone. (8). 

 

Obituary for George Bolleman, Mary Ann’s husband

Powlett Express November 8, 1918 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130666138

Death notice for George Bolleman, Mary Ann’s husband

Great Southern Star December 6, 1918 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89256304

According to the Electoral Rolls, Mary Ann continued to live in Pound Creek after her husband's death and later at Leongatha. In 1934, she was living in Station Street, Koo Wee Rup. Her two daughters and their husbands were also living in Koo Wee Rup in 1934; son-in-law Maxwell Timmins was a labourer and son-in-law, Albert Herbert a railway employee. Mary Anne was still in Koo Wee Rup in 1937. In the 1942 to 1949 Electoral Rolls she, her son Francis, her daughter Marie, and son-in-law Maxwell, were living in Tooradin (9). 

Mary Anne died at Berrybank, near Lismore (Victoria) on December 29, 1951. It would be interesting to know why she was living there at that time. Her son Francis, was listed as the informant, and his address was Dandenong. Mary Ann was buried in the Lismore Cemetery (10). As with Clarence, I wonder how many times Mary Ann told the story of her rescue from the flood and how she bravely and kindly saved the life of the little baby by keeping them out of the water for fifteen hours. She may well have been too modest to tell anyone. 

Mrs A. Adams and her baby
This took some detective work to work out who this was. I found Albert and Annie (nee Davies) Adams listed in the 1934 Electoral Roll at Dalmore. His occupation was a farmer, so I thought it was a good chance that this was the right family. I put their name into Trove to see what I could find and  discovered this death notice of their son, John Thomas, who sadly died in 1951, aged 25.

Death notice of John Adams

Dandenong Journal, September 19, 1951http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article222354800

The death notice lists John's siblings as - Brenda who married Vivian Powell in 1943; Charlie; Oliver, who enlisted in the Army in 1943 and his birth date is February 15, 1924 (11). The last child listed is Toby, who was at Tooradin North State School in 1946, as the report, below tells us.

Toby Adams at Tooradin North State School

Dandenong Journal, July 3, 1946  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article214794288

The book Tooradin: 125 years of coastal history has a section on local families including the Adams family. Albert Adams served in World War One, and took up a Soldier Settlement farm on Manks Road in 1921. The book lists his children as Brenda, Charlie, Oliver, John and James (Toby). There is also a list of the students of the Tooradin North School and James Percy Adams started in 1939. Given that children started school at around the age of five, that means he was born around 1934, so I felt he would be a likely candidate for the little flood baby (12). 

 I looked on some family trees on Ancestry.com and one lists James Percy Adams, son of Albert and Annie, born at Koo Wee Rup, November 20, 1934. Which means he was ten days old on the day of the flood, which doesn't fit in with The Argus story, of him being born the day before, but it was confusing times, so it is not surprising the dates are a bit inconsistent. The family tree lists his death date of April 28, 2021.

 
Given all this, I believe that the Mrs A. Adams referred to in the article is Mrs Annie Adams of Manks Road, Dalmore and her little baby who was dropped in the water was James, also known as Toby. You can hardly image the horror and panic Mrs Adams must have felt in those few seconds before she regained a hold on her baby. 

Albert Adams passed away December 7, 1956, aged 65 years old and Annie on September 29, 1984 aged 90. They are buried at Cranbourne Cemetery (13). Again, I wonder how often Annie Adams and her son Toby, told the story of their dramatic and in the case of young Toby, his very lucky rescue from the December 1934 flood.

 
Footnotes
(1) The Koo Wee Rup Sun, December 20 1934, p. 4
(2) The Argus, December 3, 1934, see here.

(3) Morwell Advertiser, December 6, 1934, see here.

(4) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages; Date of Birth from World War Two Nominal Rolls, see here.

(5) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com; Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages and Tasmanian Archives. Clarrie's brothers -  Harold (1902-1927) was the product  of Esther's first marriage to Robert James Stevenson, but he used the Fenner surname. Then Stanley (1913-1969) and Frank (1915-1982) and Clarrie were the sons of Charles Fenner. The eldest three were born in Tasmania.  Charles Fenner died April 1953, aged 65 and Esther died March 1963, aged 84 - they are buried at Springvale Cemetery. 

Harold Fenner's tragic accident

Morwell Advertiser, May 13, 1927 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article65924805

(6) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages, World War Two Nominal Rolls, see here; Fawkner Cemetery is part of the Greater metropolitan Cemeteries Trust and their records are on-line https://www.gmct.com.au/deceased

(7) Information from Mary Anne's marriage certificate.

(8) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages and Mary Anne's marriage certificate.

(9) Electoral Rolls on Ancestry.com

(10) Death Certificate of Mary Ann Bollerman.

(11) Indexes to the Victorian Births, Deaths and Marriages, World War Two Nominal Rolls, see here.

(12) Tooradin: 125 years of coastal history - Blind Bight, Cannon's Creek, Sherwood, Tooradin North, Warneet 1875-2000 State school No. 1503 compiled by John Wells and the 'Tooradin Celebrates Together 125 Years of Education Committee' published in 2001.

(13) Cranbourne Cemetery information - http://www.ozgenonline.com/~vic_cem/cranbourne/cranbourneaf_data.htm 

1934 flood at Koo Wee Rup - photos from The Herald

These photos appeared in The Herald on December 3, 1934 (see the page on Trove here). They were given to the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society by Robert Dusting. You can read all about the 1934 flood, here.

St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Station Street

Rossiter Road and Station Street intersection. The building, top right, is the Wattle Theatre.

Station Street

The Great Flood of December 1934

December 1, 1934 was the day when the largest flood ever to hit Koo Wee Rup and surrounding districts  occurred. There had been above average rainfall in the October and November and more heavy rain fell across the State on December 1st. This rainfall caused a flood of over 100,000 megalitres or 40,000 cusecs across the Swamp and this was only an estimate because all the gauges were washed away. The entire Swamp was inundated; water was over six feet deep in parts of the Koo Wee Rup township, and this flooding was exacerbated by the fact that the railway embankment held the water in the town. 

At Cora Lynn, 3½ feet of water went through my grandparent’s house (Joe and Eva Rouse) in Murray Road. The family, including the four children aged 11, 5, 3 and nearly 1 (my Dad, Frank), spent three days in the roof of the house. This flood also affected other parts of the State. The Argus reported that there was four feet of water over parts of the Princes Highway between Dandenong and Berwick. The Yarra River caused flooding along its banks from the City to Heidelberg to Warburton; the Moe Swamp around Trafalgar flooded; the old Carrum Swamp around Chelsea was flooded as were low lying parts of Melbourne such as Kensington.  

Over a thousand people were left homeless as a result and around 15 people, including six locally, were sadly drowned throughout the State. The Argus of December 3, 1924 (see here) reported -
Two men, both thought to be farmers, were drowned near Bunyip. They were Councillor John Dowd, formerly president of the Berwick Shire, and a man whose name was Jolly. George Wilson, of Iona who was drowned near Garfield. The body of a man named Williams was recovered at Garfield yesterday morning by Constable Jordan. The body of John Samwell, aged about 55 years, sustenance worker, was seen by Mr John Hickey being carried by the flood waters toward the main drain in the Koo-wee-rup Swamp. Mr Hickey, who is aged 70 years, was rescued after he had clung to a tree for 28 hours. Gordon Nash, aged 14 years, of Tonimbuk, was drowned in Diamond Creek

Another man was reported missing - Mr. Patrick Brennan a resident of the town [Garfield] has been missing since Friday night, and as his horse and jinker have been found fears are felt for his safety. His body was found a few days later.

Weatherhead Brothers timber yard at Tynong in 1934 flood.

Photographer: Alf Weatherhead

See more flood photos here and here.

The town of Koo Wee Rup was especially hard hit. The women and children were evacuated by train, mostly to Dandenong. Relief trains arrived on Monday, December 3rd which contained food, clothes and equipment. The homeless men were housed in tents, which had also arrived on the relief train, and were paid to help clean up. At the eastern end of the Swamp, the hundreds of homeless people took refuge at Garfield in the Mechanics' Institute and the hotel.

The flood didn’t just have human toll, many animals were also killed. The Minister in Charge of Sustenance, Dr. Shields, visited the area and reported that –
"More than 2,000 carcases including cows sheep pigs goats and poultry have already been disposed of," he continued. "The carcases have been thrown into the main canal and floated down to Westernport. There are still about 1,000 dead animals in the district but some of these will have to be buried. The party was told that the carcases would be devoured readily by sharks which were plentiful in the northern end of Westernport. One resident said that they were so numerous that fishermen were afraid to put out in small craft. Countless hundreds of chickens and fowls have been destroyed by the floods. Only the dogs seem to have escaped. These are ravenously hungry and fight for scraps of food when it is thrown to them. (The Argus, December 6, 1934, see here)

As well as the loss of livestock, 12,000 acres of potatoes were destroyed around Koo Wee Rup and Trafalgar as were many acres of other crops such as onions. The School at Koo Wee Rup closed until the New Year and the Hospital, which had seven feet of water through it, re-opened on Christmas Eve (read more about the Hospital and the flood, here)

If it wasn’t bad enough losing everything and being stuck on your roof, The Argus, noted another danger - Saturday night was a night of terror for the persons marooned on the housetops. The waters were infested with hundreds of swimming snakes, which tried to reach the roofs. The stranded persons had to fight them off with sticks as well as try to keep themselves above the level of the flood. 

(The Argus,  December 3, 1924, see here) 

Rossiter Road.  Koo Wee Rup. The house, Mallow, was built, c. 1916,  by John Colvin for his daughter Margaret on her marriage to Les O'Riordan. 

It is now the home of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society. 

Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society photo

Here are two eye-witness accounts of the flood.
This account is from More Mickle memories of Koo Wee Rup by David Mickle. 

The average flood in the Koo Wee Rup township had been up to two feet. The State Savings Bank Building Department specified that floor levels in this locality must be 30 inches above the ground. We had the highest single level house in town and consequently on December 1, 1934 about 8.00am we invited Wally Bethune, his wife and two children to come from their ground level home opposite to our “unsinkable three footer”. Mr Graham and child came to help us but very soon we were sinking too. I waded to a wood shed for a ladder to put through the man-hole in the bathroom ceiling and very soon the Bethunes, Grahams and Mickles - total eleven - were on blankets in the ceiling. The flood would have been four  feet deep outside then and rising fast. The depth was five feet six inches when apparently it managed to cross the railway embankment and stopped rising. This embankment had caused the flood to back up with disastrous results. Here we stayed like many others on and in roofs until boats arrived. From these vantage points we watched cows, sheep , pigs and poultry intermixed with oil drums and trees go by... That afternoon Pomp Colvin came with his boat and took Mr Graham and girl to their house. Nine of us were taken to the Railway Crossing at 10.30am the next day, Sunday, by boat. On the Monday, men only, were allowed back into the town to organise the cleaning up.

This account is from Patsy Adam Smith from her book Hear the train blow.  Her mother was Station Mistress and Post Mistress at Monomeith railway station at this time and her father was a fettler.

At home we were perfectly safe because of the house being off the ground up on the platform. On the second day Mum heard on the radio that homeless people were being brought into the Railway station at Koo Wee Rup. She walked in to help. Where she walked on the five-foot the swirling waters lapped over her shoes, the ballast had been swept away and the sleepers were held up only because they were fastened to the rails. The whole line in parts was swinging…..Dad and other fettlers brought in scores of people who had been cut off on high ground or in the ceilings of their homes. The water had run over the land so suddenly that most people were taken unawares. The Bush Nursing Hospital was caught this way. The fettlers cut through the roof of that building to take out the patients…… Mum, helping patients out of the boat when it reached Koo Wee Rup station found Dad’s coat around an old lady who had only a thin nightdress beneath it

David Roberts in From Swampland to Farmland: a history of the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District pays tribute to the early pioneers on the Swamp and it is a fitting tribute to our parents and grandparents.

It is interesting to note that the three large floods of 1924, 1934 and 1937, all within a thirteen year time span contributed to the development of a “breed” of people –people who had faced floods and continued to work their land in the belief that they could be beaten and that the good years would outweigh the bad. A certain resilience and tight knit community spirit had grown amongst the people, some of whom were children or grandchildren of the original drain diggers, and like their predecessors they weren’t going to be beaten by the Koo Wee Rup Swamp.

References:
More Mickle Memories of Koo Wee Rup by David Mickle (The Author, 1987)
Hear the train blow by Patsy Adam-Smith (Nelson,  1981)
From Swampland to Farmland: a history of the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District by David Roberts. (Rural Water Commission, 1985)

Newspaper articles - see my Trove list, here.

Flood photos Koo-Wee-Rup

These are some photographs of  Koo-Wee-Rup and surrounds in what maybe the 1924 flood or the 1934 flood from the  Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp Historical Society collection.

This is the Railway bridge, there  are people at either end of the bridge. 

Rossiter Road

Four people in a row boat

I have seen this one dated 1916 and 1924.

Andrew Colvin's Shackcloth cycle factory

Stranded cars

Drying out after the flood, this is possibly the 1934 flood.

An overview of the drainage of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp

This is an overview of the history of the drainage of the Koo Wee Rup Swamp. I must acknowledge  From Swampland to Farmland: a history of the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District by David Roberts (Rural Water Commission, 1985);  the chapter Draining the Swamp in The Good Country: Cranbourne Shire by Niel Gunson (F.W. Cheshire, 1968); and Swamp Reclamation in Victoria by Lewis Ronald East, published in the Journal of the Institute of Engineers, Australia, March 1935, in the preparation of this history.  

The Koo Wee Rup Swamp originally covered about 96, 000 acres (40,000 hectares) is part of the Western Port sunkland. Very non-scientifically, the land sunk thousands of years ago between the Heath Hill fault and the Tyabb fault, and the streams that originally drained straight to the sea, such as the Cardinia, Toomuc, Deep Creek, Ararat, Bunyip and Lang Lang now descended onto the flat sections of the sunkland, flowed out over the land and created the swamp conditions.

Small scale drainage projects on the Swamp began as early as 1857 when William Lyall (1821 - 1888) began draining parts of the Yallock Station to drain the excess water from the Yallock Creek. In 1867, Lyall and Archibald McMillan, owner of Caldermeade, funded a drain through the Tobin Yallock Swamp and created a drain to give the Lang Lang River a direct outlet to the sea. Lyall also created drainage around Harewood house (on the South Gippsland Highway Koo Wee Rup and Tooradin).

In 1875, landowners including Duncan MacGregor (1835 - 1916), who owned Dalmore, a property of over 3,800 acres (1,500 hectares) formed the Koo Wee Rup Swamp Drainage Committee. From 1876 this Committee employed over 100 men and created drains that would carry the water from the Cardinia and Toomuc Creeks to Western Port Bay at Moody’s Inlet. The Cardinia Creek outlet was eight metres at the surface, six metres at the base and 1.2 metres deep, so no mean feat as it was all done manually. You can still see these drains when you travel on Manks Road, between Lea Road and Rices Road - the five bridges you cross span the Cardinia and Toomuc Creek canals (plus a few catch drains)

It soon became apparent that drainage works needed to be carried out on a large scale if the Swamp was to be drained and landowners protected from floods. The construction of the Railways also provided a push to drain the Swamp. The Gippsland railway line, which straddled the northern part of the Swamp, was completed from Melbourne to Sale in 1879. The construction of the Great Southern Railway line through the Swamp and South Gippsland, to Port Albert, began in 1887. These lines, plus a general demand for farm land bought the Government into the picture.

The Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department, William Thwaites (1853 - 1907) is almost forgotten in Swamp history, and should get more credit than he does. Thwaites surveyed the Swamp in 1887 and his report recommended the construction of the Bunyip Main Drain from where it entered the Swamp, in the north, to Western Port Bay and a number of smaller side drains.

Plan showing flood protection and drainage works for Cardinia and Kooweerup Swamp lands: also watershed areas affecting same. State Rivers and Water Supply Commission, c. 1920s. 

State Library of Victoria  http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/115251

There was a scientific background to this scheme - Lewis Ronald East, engineer with and later Commissioner and then Chairman of  the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (SRWSC), in his 1935 paper Swamp Reclamation in Victoria in 1935 writes that the drainage plan was based on the formula Q=CM3/4 - where Q was the discharge in cusecs, C a coefficient and M the area of the area of the catchment in square miles. 50 was adopted as the value of C for ordinary floods and 100 for extraordinary floods. The Scheme was worked out in detail to deal with ordinary floods, but for some unaccountable reason - possibly shortage of funds - it was recommended that the drains be constructed in the first instance to only 1/3 of the designed dimensions, but the reserves were to be of sufficient width to allow future enlargement. East says that the intention of the “Swamp Board” was to merely facilitate the removal flood waters and thus permit the use of land between floods.

A tender for works was advertised in 1889. In spite of strikes, floods and bad weather by March, 1893, the private contractors had constructed the 16 miles of the drain from the Bay to the south of Bunyip and the Public Works Department considered the Swamp was now dry enough for settlement. At one time over 500 men were employed and all the work was done by hand, using axes, shovels, mattocks and wheel barrows. 

In spite of what seemed to be good progress - the Public Works Department had been unhappy with the rate of progress and took over its completion in 1893 and appointed, their engineer Carlo Catani (1852-1918) to oversee future works. I write about Carlo Catani, here.

The 1890s was a time of economic depression in Australia and various Government Schemes were implemented to provide employment and to stop the drift of the unemployed to the city. One of these schemes was the Village Settlement Scheme. The aim was for the settlers to find employment outside the city and to boost their income from the sale of produce from their farms. It was in this context that Catani implemented the Village Settlement Scheme on the swamp. Under this Scheme, all workers had to be married, accept up to a 20 acre (8 hectares) block and spend a fortnight working on the drains for wages and a fortnight improving their block and maintaining adjoining drains. The villages were Koo Wee Rup, Five Mile, Vervale, Iona and Yallock.  The first 103 blocks under this scheme were allocated in April 1893.

Many of the settlers were unused to farming and hard physical labour, others were deterred by floods and ironically a drought that caused a bushfire. Many also relied on the wages they received for working on the drains, however this work finished in November 1897, so unless they could find other employment, or their farm was enormously successful they chose (or were forced by circumstance) to leave the Swamp.  The Village Settlement Scheme on the Swamp was abandoned in 1899 and the land was opened for selection in the regular way.

My great grandfather, James Rouse, a widower, arrived on the Swamp with his nine year old son Joe, in 1903. James, who had been a market gardener in England, was part of a second wave of settlers who were granted land as they had previous farming experience.  By 1904, over 2,000 people including 1,400 children lived on the Swamp. By the 1920s, the area was producing one quarter of Victorian potatoes and was also a major producer of dairy products. In fact, as we know, Koo Wee Rup remains an important potato growing area and the importance of the potato was celebrated by the Annual Potato Festival during the 1970s and 1980s. Today, 93% of all Australian asparagus is produced on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp.

The existing drainage works that we see on the Swamp today are really the result of a reaction to various floods. As East wrote in 1935 it was soon evident that the drainage provision made was quite inadequate.  There was a flood in 1893 and according to East the drains were enlarged by at least 50% in 1895 and then enlarged again in 1902, the catalyst being the 1901 flood.  The 1902 work had the objective to remove all floodwaters from a maximum flood within three days

There were some additional drains created in 1911 and by 1912 East says that the drainage scheme had cost £234,000 and the Government had recouped only £188,000. There were arguments over who should fund the scheme - many land owners were opposed to being charged for any work and it was not until after more floods in 1916 and 1917 they agreed in principle to an annual flood protection charge and the ‘Lower Koo Wee Rup flood protection district’ came into being. 

The State Rivers scheme provided for substantial remodelling and enlargement of existing drains, new channels and additional drains next to the Main Drain to take the water from the converging side drains. Other work carried out at this time included giving the Lang Lang River a straight channel to the bay and at the western end of Swamp tapping the Deep Creek into the Toomuc Drain created in 1876. 

Before I go on to the devastating 1934 flood I am going to tell you briefly about the Lubecker Steam Dredge, which I have written about in more detail, here. Apparently Catani was interested in using machines on the Swamp in the 1890, but as this was a time of depression the Public Works Department felt that this would take away jobs so it wasn’t until 1913 that Catani could import his first dredge. It was the Lubecker Bucket Dredge, costing £4,716 which arrived in 1913 and started work on the Lang Lang River. When it finished there in 1917 it started on the Koo Wee Rup Swamp on the Yallock Creek and other drains.

Looking down Rossiter Road, in the 1934 flood.

Image: Koo Wee Rup Swamp Historical Society

None of the existing works could prepare the swamp for the 1934 flood. In October of that year, Koo Wee Rup received over twice its average rain fall. November also had well above average rainfall and heavy rain fell on December 1 across the State. This rainfall caused a flood of over 100,000 megalitres or 40,000 cusecs (cubic feet per second) per day. This was only an estimate because all the gauges were washed away. The entire Swamp was inundated; water was over 6 feet (2 metres) deep in the town of Koo Wee Rup, exacerbated by the fact that the railway embankment held the water in the town; my grandparents house at Cora Lynn had 3½ feet of water through it and according to family legend they spent three days in the roof with a nine, five, three year old and my father who was one at the time. Over a thousand people were left homeless. This flood also affected other parts of the State, including Melbourne.

There was outrage after the 1934 flood, directed at the SRWSC and it was even worse when another flood, of about 25,000 megalitres (10,000 cusecs) hit in April, 1935. After this flood, 100 men were employed to enlarge the drains.

As a result of the 1934 flood, the SRWC worked on new drainage plans for the Swamp and these plans became known as the Lupson Report after the complier, E.J Lupson, an Engineer. A Royal Commission was also established in 1936. Its role was to investigate the operation of the SRWSC. The Royal Commission report was critical of the SRWSC’s operation in the Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District in a number of areas.  It ordered that new plans for drainage improvements needed to be established and presented to an independent authority. Mr E. G Richie was appointed as the independent authority. The Richie Report essentially considered that the Lupson Report was ‘sound and well considered’ and should be implemented. Work had just begun on these recommendations when the 1937 flood hit the area. The 1937 flood hit Koo Wee Rup on October 18  and water was two feet (60cm) deep in Rossiter Road and Station Street. The flood peaked at 20,000 cusecs (50,000 megalitres) about half the 1934 flood volume.

The main recommendation of the Lupson / Ritchie report was the construction of the Yallock outfall drain from Cora Lynn, cutting across to Bayles and then essentially following the line of the existing Yallock Creek to Western Port Bay. The aim was to take any flood water directly to the sea so the Main Drain could cope with the remaining water. The Yallock outfall drain was started in 1939 but the works were put on hold during World War Two and not completed until 1956-57. The Yallock outfall drain had been originally designed using the existing farm land as a spillway ie the Main Drain would overflow onto existing farmland and then find its own way to the Yallock outfall drain. Local farmers were unhappy at this, as the total designated spillway area was 275 acres (110 hectares). They suggested a spillway or ford be constructed at Cora Lynn so the flood water would divert to the outfall drain over the spillway. The spillway was finally constructed in 1962. There is more on the Yallock Outfall drain, here. 

Construction of the Spillway at Cora Lynn, October 1962 - the Main Drain is on the right, 

separated by a soon to be removed levee bank from the spillway which is 

ironically underwater, due to a flood. 

Photo: Rouse family collection

There is on-going work on the Main Drain all the time - recreation of levee banks, removal of vegetation etc but the opening of the spillway was basically the last major engineering works to happen on the Swamp.

Today we look at Swamps as wetlands, worthy of preservation, but we need to look at the drainage of the Swamp in the context of the times. Koo Wee Rup was only one of many swamps drained around this time; others include the Carrum Swamp and the Moe Swamp. To the people at the time the drainage works were an example of Victorian engineering skills and turned what was perceived as useless land into productive land and removed a barrier to the development of other areas in Gippsland.