Gascoyne Junction back in business

Sparra, that sounds like a nice little tour. I haven't been to the Gascoyne or inland Murchison for many years because of other demands on my time, but I love that country, particularly to the East of GJ.

Cheers, Ron.

Pop, there were arguments and dissent about how the levee was positioned - but those in charge of its installation have stated it's not designed to totally protect every square metre of Carnarvon from another 1 in 100 yr flood - it's designed to MINIMISE the damage overall.

I don't imagine it would be possible to totally protect every square metre of Carnarvon with a levee unless you spent $300M. This levee appears to provide the best level of protection for the outlay.

The Gascoyne has an enormous size catchment area, and it's particularly flat.
Dad worked all through the Gascoyne in the 1930's. He and two other blokes got caught in a major flood in April 1934 on Three Rivers station.

They'd gone out on a fence repairing mission with a dray pulled by three camels, along with two horses they rode.
He reckoned they got 15" (375mm) of rain over 3 days in early April, from a cyclone, and the water rose to fencepost height for as far as they could see, in every direction.
He said the camels must have sensed a disaster, they just laid down and died, during the rain! Perhaps the sudden cold knocked them.

They climbed a nearby windmill tower and built a platform about 10' (3M) off the ground and were stuck there for nearly 3 weeks until the floodwaters subsided.
Luckily, they had enough food in the dray to survive O.K. - and there was no shortage of water!
When the flood started to subside a little, after nearly a fortnight, one of the blokes tried to get back to the homestead to let them know they were O.K., and he tried to swim the Gascoyne with his horse.

The Gascoyne was still deep and flowing rapidly, and the bloke got carried well downstream, and only just made it out.
He lost the horse completely, it was swept out to sea!
When they finally made it back to the station, with just one horse and two blokes on foot - the station owner abused the bloke for losing an expensive saddle!

Murchison-Wiluna Floods, 1934

Carnavon Floods 1934

M.L.A. Flood-bound for 13 days at Gascoyne River - walks 28 miles to reach Peak Hill

Cheers, Ron.

Ron

Great stories. Liked the links to the news reports from 1934.
Had to laugh at the thought of a MP stranded by flood and walking 28 miles.
Today's lot get a government car to go around the corner!
I was out in the Gascoyne region in mid may for my first visit there. Great country.

Cheers

Ron

Thanks for that. My brother and I drove through there when we crossed the continent from Maroochydore to Carnarvon in 1998 in the Pajero. The GBH shook the steel roof rack until it broke. After Wiluna and Meekatharra I think we camped on the banks of the Murchison before heading up to Gascoyne Junction and then Carnarvon.

Bob

Blackbird, that's good feedback, and that sounds like a great trip. You sure got around and saw plenty!
3362kms! Wow, that's only a little less than Perth-Melb, and only a little more than Perth-Kununurra!

I can recall coming back from Karratha, it must have July-Aug 1994 - it had been a terrific wet season, and the Sturt Pea were phenomenal! - they were over a metre high, and like rose bushes!
I have photos of them somewhere, I must dig them out.
I have never seen Sturt Pea like it before, nor since.

Cheers, Ron.

QUOTE: "the original owners were right royally shafted in the process" ...

In what manner? - and what were their losses?
Were they shafted by Govt agencies? Or by a fuel company or other companies?

Our system of democracy and justice is designed to try and redress wrongs - but very often, you can only get a wrong redressed via the application of a vast amount of money - and if you've been shafted, then you have no money to start with.

The Adminstrative Appeals Tribunal is one of the worst organisations I have ever seen, for denying natural justice to people shafted by Govt agencies.
Google "John Quadrio" just to see what these organisations can do to destroy a person financially and emotionally, without any solid grounds for doing so.