West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Saturday 26 March 1949, page 3


DELUGE OF RAIN Survey Discloses "A Vast Sea" ADELAIDE, March 25: The inland is still being deluged by heavy rain, and the distress of stations isolated since the beginning of the month is expected to be increased by more floods. A further seven inches has fallen near the junction of the Barcoo and Thompson rivers in south-western Queensland. They converge into Cooper's Creek, and water will almost certinly flow into Lake Eyre for the frst time since 1890. Innamincka station, in the north-eastern corner of South Australia, reported yesterday a further 164 points, bringing the total fall for the week to 21 inches. The Prime Minister (Mr. Chifley) has asked for concrete propositions for relief. The chairman of directors of Transports (B.H.) Proprietary Ltd. (Mr. A. H. Furniss) said that he had made a 1,200-mile survey flight over the isolated stations north of Cooper's Creek. He covered some 50.000 square miles of cattle country, which bad become a vast sea. dotted with islands of high ground. Cooper's Creek was 15 miles wide at some points. A station manager had said that the rains were the heaviest since white men moved into the interior. Stock losses would not be heavy. The manager- of S. Kidman and Co. (Mr. H. J. Bird) said tonight that water would probably reach Lake Eyre in June.