From The South Bourke and Mornington Journal September 16, 1903 (see here)
Iona - At mid-day on Sunday we experienced a severe hailstorm so heavy that the paddocks bore the appearance of being covered with snow.
From The Argus of November 4, 1903 (see here)
Bunyip - There was a curious hailstorm on Sunday evening. It appeared to come from the north west and the pieces of ice were so large that windows were smashed in all directions. At Kraft’s Hotel [Top Pub] about twenty were broken and the same number at the State School. One of the pieces of ice weighed half a pound.
The South Bourke and Mornington Journal of November 4, 1903 also reported on this storm (see here)
Iona - Hail stones weighing 8 ounces are not an every day experience or welcome visitors and the damage hail can do young growing crops in a few minutes the settlers of Iona now know to their sorrow. On Sunday afternoon, during the thunder storm which passed over the settlement the elements cannonaded the district with irregular chunks of ice - not proper hail-stones, many weighing as above stated with such force, a strong wind was blowing at the time, as to batter the roofs of the houses in a most incredible manner. All windows facing the north were immediately demolished, and in some cases the hail actually drilled a round hole through the windows without shattering the pane. The crops of onions and potatoes suffered severely. Mr. W. Carey’s best cow was struck by lightning during the storm. The township and school also suffered severely. Miss Bell who was caught in the storm on horseback fainted, but happily help was at hand and a fatal catastrophy [sic] averted. A travelling glazier would do a good trade in the town-ship.
The Argus of October 28, 1911 (see here) reported
Mr J.A. Kirwan, store keeper at Iona was delivering when he was caught in a hailstorm and the horse, becoming restive, backed into the canal. The horse, vehicle and driver fell over the steep bank into the water. Mr Kirwan escaped with minor injuries.
From The Argus of December 20, 1911 (see here)
Bunyip - A heavy fall of hail occurred this afternoon. The hail was as large as pigeon eggs and did a great deal of damage to the potato and onion fields and also caused considerable loss to orchardists.
The Argus of February 19, 1913 (see here) reported
The Argus of February 19, 1913 (see here) reported
The heavy hailstorm of Monday afternoon had a disastrous effect on the orchards at North Bunyip and Tonimbuk. Heavy yields were expected from the apple crops, but the hail, which was almost the size of hens eggs, almost cut some of the apples in two
From ‘Nature notes & queries’ column of The Argus of July 30, 1920 (see here) comes this letter from Mr Horatio Weatherhead of Tynong -
In February 1887 there was a hailstorm at Daylesford, when jagged lumps of ice nearly a foot long and weighing up to 4lb fell. The damage to windows, roofs and crops was considerable but no-one was seriously injured. The hailstorm was referred to at the time as 'falling icebergs.'
(Horatio and his sons moved from Lyonville to Tynong North in 1909)
The Dandenong Journal of July 30, 1931 (see here) reported -
The football match, Dalmore v. Clyde, which had been eagerly looked forward to was commenced on the new ground in Mr. Croskell’s paddock, on Saturday, but owing to a severe hailstorm was abandoned shortly after half-time. At half-time Dalmore were leading by three goals, which lead Clyde reduced to two points before the game was abandoned. Clyde had a very good chance of winning had the game been played out.
The Herald, of August 16, 1935 (see here) had this thrilling account of a cycle race. The headline was Girl Cyclist sets record through fierce hailstorm -
When Mrs Valda Unthank, the Brunswick cyclist, clipped 17mins. 15sec. off the women's road cycling record over 83 miles from the Prahran Town Hall to Wonthaggi yesterday, she battled through one of the worst storms experienced for many years in South Gippsland. Today, Mrs Unthank's badly swollen left ankle is a legacy of her fight to keep from being blown off the bicycle. "I have never experienced such weather," she said. "I averaged 20 miles an hour until I reached Pakenham, but then I had to contend with a fierce southerly gale, big hailstones and rain. I was blown right off my bicycle many times, and finally had to get off and walk for some distance."
Mrs Unthank's record card checked and signed by the Mayor of Wonthaggi (Cr. S. Fincher, J.P.) is:- Departed Prahran Town Hall, 6.31 a.m. Arrived Dandenong 7.19, Hallam, 7.30, Narrewarren 7.36, Berwick 7.44, Beaconsfield 7.50, Officer 7.56, Pakenham 8.9, Koo-wee-rup 8.50, Lang Lang, 9.20½, Bass Shire 10.30, Bass 11.19, Anderson 11.40, Kilcunda 12.2 p.m„ Wonthaggi 12.34, 45 sec. Time for distance, 6hr. 3min. 45sec. On Tuesday, Mrs Unthank will visit Bairnsdale, where she will establish a
time for women cyclists from Sale to Bairnsdale, a distance of 43 miles.
The Argus of February 24, 1945 (see here) reported -
Hailstones that were found to measure 2 inches in diameter fell during a freak electrical storm that broke over Garfield late yesterday afternoon. In 45 minutes 310 points of rain were recorded. Vegetable crops were swamped, fruit crops ruined by the hail, and some shops in the main street flooded with 2ft of water. The disturbance covered an area of about five miles. The railway line was flooded near Tynong, and the afternoon train from Melbourne was delayed two hours.
The Weekly Times of February 28, 1945 (see here) had this dramatic report of the same storm -
Heavy rain in Gippsland - Groceries were washed from shelves into the street from a store at Tynong, Gippsland, when nearly three inches of rain fell in half an hour during an electrical storm on Monday. The rain was so heavy it penetrated the roof of the store. Lightning struck a chimney on a house at Garfield, eight miles away, and sheared it off level with the roof. Bricks crashed on the roof of the building. Others were thrown to the ground several yards away. Heavy hail fell at both towns.
The postmaster at Tynong (Mr A. Besant) had to shovel hail off the roof. At Garfield hail stones as large as marbles smashed windows. Several houses were damaged by water. It was the second severe electrical storm in the district within a week.
On the subject of hail storms, there was a big storm on the evening of Thursday, January 17, 1963 - two days before day before my aunty was married, so Mum remembers the date clearly. These photographs were taken at Grandmas in Murray Road, Cora Lynn on Friday, January 18th! Almost like snow!
The Age of January 18, 1963 reported that this hail storm wiped out between 80-90% of the fruit harvest in the Doncaster orchard district ... worst hit by the hail storm were the orchardists of the Doncaster, Templestowe, Vermont and Narre Warren orchard areas, who lost their whole year's work and income within minutes....The orchards carpeted with ripped off leaves, butts, bits of fruit and twigs look as if they were blitzed. The Pakenham Gazette of January 25, 1963 noted that the hail belt stretched right through from Narre Warren to Nar Nar Goon North...the three who had suffered most in this area were Mr Albert Warner of Nar Nar Goon North; Mr R Perkins, Nar Nar Goon North and Mr W. Mann, Pakenham Upper. In each case practically the whole of their crops had been wiped out.
