SOME HISTORY OF BEGA FLOODS: 1851 – 1978
When Captain William Campbell built his slab and bark hut on a slight rise, beside the Brogo River, one mile above the junction of the Brogo and Bega Rivers, in the year 1841, he little thought that within ten years the whole of the area would be covered by flood waters many feet deep. Rises had occurred in the river in that time, but no great damage had been done, and when Surveyor Parkinson laid out the township in January, 1851, crops of wheat and barley were flourishing between the settlers' huts, all of which were built close to the river, where water was readily available. The stacks of hay indicated a good season, with plenty of food for stock in the coming winter. However in May of that year, gale-force winds blew up, bringing heavy rain. As the water rose rapidly, the few settlers climbed to the roofs of their houses and onto haystacks, but within a few hours the haystacks were washed away and houses collapsed, throwing all into the water. In this flood seventeen lives were lost. Many more would have died but for the aborigines in their bark canoes who saved many in the settlement by bringing them to higher ground. Those who died afterwards from the effects of exposure were buried at Corridgeree, where Bega's first Doctor, Dr. Wardell, already had been buried. The flood left many deep holes in the cultivation ground, so many farmers dug deep drains to run the water back into the river. Again in 1852 two more floods occurred, the land once more being covered with deep water. The residents had by now learned to go to higher ground, so no lives were lost. Deep water stayed on the flats, covering the crops, and great efforts were made to open drains to the river. In many places, however, the wash of the river deepened these drains, forming permanent lagoons and dams. Popes Hole, now known as Coopers Creek, and the Donkeys Hole, behind the Butter Factory, are examples of this. Both are very deep and full of platypus. It was following the floods of 1851 and 1852 that it was decided to move the township to a site on high ground, south of the Bega River, a crossing being found suitable at a spot a little above the junction of the two rivers. There a wooden footbridge was erected, well out of flood reach. The first substantial building was the Victoria Inn, and the street then being formed was named Auckland Street, after the Imperial Colonial Secretary. A store, the National School, the newspaper office, a bank and other 'buildings were erected, and soon only farmlands, Underhill's Smithy and a Creamery were left at North Bega. The farmers' homes, most of which also had small cheese factories, were all built well away from the river. In the new settlement crops were planted, the main ones being wheat, barley and maize. Most farmers cured bacon, and wheat was ground into flour at Kirkland's Mill at the south-east of the township, and also at Mrs. Spence's Corridgeree Mill, both sites being well above any flood damage. In 1857 the first flood of any dimension to affect the township established south of the Bega River occurred in September. It did not reach the new settlement, but did destroy a considerable amount of fencing, and washed out newly-completed road works on either side of the Auckland Street crossing In February, 1860 when a severe flood occurred, there was a great loss of crops, as well as many head of cattle a blow to struggling farmers. Some dry years followed, and it was not until 1870 that good rains fell. A flood in June again destroyed fences and road works. The water in the Auckland Street swamps rose sharply, extending as far as the site of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Archie Spence of Stoney Creek, the first couple to be married in the church, were unable to return to their home for a considerable time until the waters subsided. Tarraganda farmers were hard-hit. Mr. Hayden lost a number of pigs, but aboriginal boys swam in to save young calves. In this flood 18 inches fell, the water being well up the lower end of Gipps Street, to the back of the Australian Joint Stock Bank (now the Bank of New South Wales).In the early part of 1873 another flood followed, with heavy rains in February and March. Water was twenty feet deep over low-lying paddocks so crops of maize were destroyed, as well as barns of hay and other grain. This was a severe blow to the farmers, as the better seasons had enabled them to build up supplies of fodder. As so often happens after heavy flooding, another flood came that winter. Tarraganda Crossing was impassable, so a punt was brought into service until the bridge was finally completed, after being partly destroyed on three occasions. In 1874 river crossings were extremely dangerous, as there was another big flood when a leading townsman and auctioneer, Mr. Fred Berne, was drowned. He had conducted a sale at Dundindi, and on his return tried to swim his horse over the river at Kanoona , but both were swept away. Mr. Berne was , a considerable amount of money, the proceeds of the sale, but his body was never recovered, although one of his boots was found some months later. Mr. Berne was the father of Dr. Dagmar Berne, Australia's first woman graduate in medicine, in whose honour her mother founded a scholarship, awarded each year to a woman student of medicine at Sydney University. Two farmers, Messrs. Harkness and McGuire, were also drowned in this flood while trying to get cattle to higher r-round . . In February, 1878 floods caused damage estimated at £30,000, while later that year another flood left a considerable amount of water and sand on the flats, so it was many months before they could be made productive again, although drainage work was carried out with scoops and horses. In the 1880's floods were not so severe, but bushfires caused terrible damage, so that when 1890 - 1891 came in wet, it was a welcome chant to the drought conditions. However rain fell heavily in June of 1891, the resulting flood causing damage to roads and new bridges - especially those below the solid cutting on Brown Mountain recently built by Mr. John Guthrie of Bemhoka. 1893 was another flood year. Although rainfall registrations were not high in Bega, rain hack in the mountains caused steep rises in all rivers, the Bega and Brogo Rivers meeting in one great sheet of water, covering the North Bega flats almost as high as in the flood of 1851. Many of the district's bridges were damaged, some under construction losing timbers and other materials. One of the highest floods ever recorded was in February, 1898, when, after six days of almost continuous rain, amounting to 28 inches in all, the whole district was covered with flood waters The water extended from Kirkland's Flour Mill (now part of the Bega Show ground), to Tarraganda Lane, covering both bridges, many barns and some homes. Telegraph lines were covered in some parts of the town and on the Jellat Flats. The force of the water at the mouth of the Bega River caused the punt to sink, and it was three weeks before it could be re floated, causing great inconvenience to residents and shippers. Reports of horses and cattle with legs severely swollen came in from all parts of the district. This was caused by the almost continuous rain. The soft nature of the ground resulted in a series of landslides on the ..- Mountain, trees blocking the road as they have done in recent floods. This flood goes down in history, being recorded bv photographers of the day, Messrs. Muller, Morton and Watson on the wet-plate system of photography. There was no flood recorded in 1899, although there was 36 inches of rain, which, however, was not continuous, and good crops were harvested, especially on the hill land. In 1900, a flood caused damage to roads and bridges, a severe loss being the destruction of Double Creek Bridge and many culverts on the Numeralla Road. Good seasons followed over the next few years, with an average rainfall of 33 inches. As the district prospered, better roads and bridges were established. Motor cars began to appear on the roads, but most people still had horse-drawn vehicles and used the river crossings. Coaches plied to Tathra and the mail still went to Cooma by coach, which would leave Bega at 3 am in order to arrive at Cooma in time for the mail train. It was during the next flood - that of 1908 - that the mail coach from Cobargo was washed down at the Auckland Street crossing, one of the horses being drowned. In 1913 a very big flood followed heavy rain, eleven inches of rain falling in 35 hours. Many low-lying homes were flooded out, residents being housed with neighbours. As the weather was hot, a bad stench hung over the town for weeks, the ground in cow-yards and pig-pens taking a long time to dry out. In 1914 the river rose again, this time to 23 feet, after 25 inches of rain had fallen in a few days. the bridge at North Bega, The only traffic bridge to the Butter Factory and the Sydney road beyond was damaged when the piles were under-mined, the roadway of the bridge sagging at the northern end. However, traffic continued to use it, with the exception of heavy trucks. The piles were gradually raised -. filling the base with concrete. It was with some relief that those having to use the bridge saw the roadway lifted back into position after two months of work. |