It
is eighty years since the Koo-Wee-Rup Swamp experienced the second largest
flood in its history. The largest flood took place in the first week of
December 1934. The 1937 flood hit the area on October 18 and water
was 60cm deep in Rossiter Road and Station Street in Koo Wee Rup. The flood peaked at
20,000 cusecs (50,000 megalitres) about half the 1934 flood volume. There had
also been a smaller flood of around 10,000 cusecs in April 1935.
Station Street, Koo Wee Rup October 20, 1937
State Rivers and Water Supply Commission photograph
The
1937 flood was caused by an extraordinary amount of rain over the proceeding
few days. The Argus of October 20
1937 had a map showing the rainfall totals of the five days from the 14th
to the 18th of October and Dandenong had 532 points (just over 5
inches or 125 ml) and Gembrook had 977 points – close to 10 inches. The Pakenham Gazette reported that Pakenham
had over 4 inches at the same time and Pakenham Upper 7.5 inches. As you would expect, with that amount of rain,
parts of Melbourne including the Yarra River and the Patterson River also
flooded.
The
Koo-Wee-Rup Sun of October 21 1937
reported that the experience of previous
floods had taught Swamp settlers the lesson of removing stock and what property
that could be shifted to higher levels and this precaution, as far as possible,
was taken. Therefore although the body of water was almost as great as the 1934
flood, damage to the above was in no way as large. Crops however suffered in
many cases owing to the waters being diverted since then, there were many cases
in which settlers fared worse by this deluge. The Koo Wee Rup Sun estimated
the damage at £50,000.
The
townsfolk placed the blame for the water in Koo Wee Rup squarely on the closure
of the openings in the railway embankment which caused the water to be bottled
up in the town. They were made even angrier by the fact that this was seen to
be the cause of the town being flooded in the 1934 and 1935 floods and there
had been no action to rectify the problem. The Koo Wee Rup Defence Corporation was
established after the 1937 flood, at a
representative meeting of trades people, residents and farmers of the township
and district... Nothing but bitterness was expressed at the continued apathy of
Government bodies in ignoring all the past representations and in failing to at
least take measures to ameliorate the consequences of the disastrous flooding. The Koo
Wee Rup Sun reported that in 1934, the Premier, Mr Dunstan, had promised to go into the question of co-ordination of the
Railways and the State Rivers & Water Supply Commission but up to the
present had sat idle.
Letter to the Editor of The Argus October 25, 1937
There
was a lot of publicity about the effect of the flood in the Koo Wee Rup
township but surrounding areas also suffered as testified in this letter to the
editor of The Argus on October 25,
1937 signed ‘Also a mug’ from Cora Lynn.
It is a cause of
annoyance to residents of Cora Lynn and adjoining districts to read in the
newspapers, and to hear over the air, the plight of the people of Koo-wee-rup.
We are sorry for them, but they have the railway to remove them from the danger
zone. They have many more hours of warning than we, with greater facilities for
getting away. The water that floods Koo-wee-rup has previously surged over our
lands and homes. Long before the flood reaches us in Cora Lynn all means of
exodus have been cut off by the flooding of such towns a Vervale, Iona, Tynong,
and Garfield for the most part. Cora Lynn is in a very decided depression, and,
in my opinion, suffers more than most of the unhappy districts during the awful
floods which visit us with monotonous regularity.
Click here to see photos of Cora Lynn in the 1937 flood.
Click here to see photos of Cora Lynn in the 1937 flood.
The Age of October 19, 1937
had this report about the effect of the floods in the local area.
The rain continued almost
continuously until to-day, when about 4 inches had been registered. At Picnic
Point the Tarago River overflowed several properties. At Longwarry it flooded
the butter factory to a depth of 4 feet, causing considerable damage to the
machinery. Stores had to be removed to the mechanics' hall for safety. North of
Garfield, Cannibal Creek over flowed its banks by 5 feet, and properties in
this area were flooded. The Ararat Creek between Tynong and Nar Nar Goon became
flooded, and there was 3 feet of water on Princes Highway. The
Longwarry-Nar Nar Goon
road, which runs parallel to the railway line, was submerged for more than half
a mile. The railway embankment and line was washed out for a distance of 26
chains, and the railway service was disorganised. Buses had to run from Nar Nar
Goon to Bunyip.
The main canal fed by
Bunyip and Tarago rivers first overflowed its banks at Cora Lynn, but later it
overflowed near Long-bridge, between Longwarry and Bunyip. The water is now
over the Princes Highway and the the Longwarry-Nar Nar Goon road. Many
residents have been compelled to go to Bunyip, as their homes have been
flooded. Stock, sheep and pigs, wherever possible, have been removed to higher
ground.
At Cora Lynn there is
5 feet of water in the Drouin Co-operative Cheese Factory, and at Keast Hall
the water is flowing through the windows. At the railway bridge between Bunyip and
Longwarry the river overflowed its banks. The Bunyip show ground is submerged
to a depth of 2 to 3 feet, and water is flowing copiously across the old
racecourse. The golf links is a lake of water. Many residents have water
running through their homes and women and children have been removed to places
of safety. It is feared that if the rain continues throughout the night the
record flood of 1934 will be eclipsed.
A
report in The Age of October 20 said
that the ballast that had been washed away from the railway line between Nar
Nar Goon and Tynong was replaced the day before and by 10.00am the line was
ready for light traffic. The Argus of
October 20 reported on the telephone lines The
exchange at Iona, near Bunyip, went out of order when flood waters reached the
cables. The exchange was in touch with Melbourne, but could not give connection
to subscribers. Men were working on the fault last night, and expected to have
the lines clear by this morning. All other country exchanges carried on services.
Koo Wee Rup October 19, 1937 - the water tower in the background gives an indication of the location of the photo.
State Rivers and Water Supply Commission photo
As
we saw before there was widespread unhappiness and anger after the 1934 flood
and, as a result, the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission (SRWSC) 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 and 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
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 i.e. 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. 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.
