Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 26 March 1949, page 4


RAIN IN INLAND

Record Falls

Record inland rains have flooded roads, cut off towns, and stranded thousands in their homes in New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia.

In Queensland, the Divi-sional Meteorologist, Mr. Richards, said continued rain was flooding rivers to danger-

ous levels.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Chif-ley, has asked South Australian pastoralists for proposals to re-lieve distress at isolated stations.

FRUIT AIRLIFT

, BROKEN HILL, Friday.-A plane from Broken Hill to-day distributed Leeton oranges for children on flood-bound stations.

The stations are in areas north of Broken Hill which are still experiencing heavy rains.

More oranges will go out in to-morrow's airlift.

Dr. J. G. Woods ordered the oranges. ' /

He said to-day that if the chil-dren living on stranded stations did not get fresh fruit or vege-tables soon they would become

ill.

Tibooburra, a small town in the flooded area, reported at 11 a.m. to-day that 326 points of rain had fallen since 9 a.m. yes-terday.

This fall brought Tibooburra'« total rainfall for the year to 2,514 points, a record for the district, where the average yearly rainfall is from 6 to 7 inches.

"BISCUIT BOMBER"

BRISBANE, Friday..-Towns cut off in' south-western Queens-land include Cunnamulla, Quilpie, Thargomindah, Birds-ville, Boulia, Jundah, .and Win-

dorah.

In the first "biscuit bomber" exercise since the war, 20001b of food was dropped to 115 isolated residents in Windorah, to-day. Windorah has been cut off for more than three weeks by flood waters of the Diamantina River and Cooper's Creek.

A Thargomindah grazier, Mr. Gerald Gooch, said to-night that his family had fled from their home to-day because of the rising

flood waters.

A Cunnamulla grazier, Mr. C. Young, said 8iin of rain had fallen in the district in the last 2i days.

The Divisional Meteorologist, Mr. Richards, said to-night that the rain was the aftermath of a recent cyclone.

DISTRESS MOUNTING

ADELAIDE, Friday.-Distress of inland stations, which have been isolated since the beginning of the month, is expected to be increased by more floods.

Water from Cooper's Creek will almost certainly flow into Lake Eyre for the first time this

century.

Yesterday, Innamincka Station, in the north-eastern corner of South Australia, reported another 164 points, bringing the total for four weeks to 21in - as much as would normally fall in four

years.