Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW : 1888 - 1954), Friday 18 March 1949, page 1


NEW FOOD SUPPLY

PLAN FOR S.-W. Q LAND

A new scheme to supply- food to south-west Queensland may result from meetings between station owners and heads of Transport Ltd., first

in Adelaide and then here.

The chairman oí directors of (Transport B.H. Ltd. (Mr. A. H. Furniss), whose trucks normally 'supply the flooded areas, arrived in Broken Hill today with Messrs. T.. Byers and H. R. McDonald, direc-tors of the company. \

' The station men have stressed

the seriousness of the situation' in those areas, and nave asked for Immediate, action to relieve the .isolated homesteads.

Á- plan to have a survey plane sent over the area "in "the .near future is contemplated.

It has been suggested 1 hot as any attempt to reach the "top end" will have to be made from Broken

Hill, and will probably Involve South Australia, the Federal Gov-ernment should assist. -

Suggestipns.that have been made include the 'establishment ot a base in the south-west Queensland flood area, whence a large plane could operate. . t >?

The plane could fly I t'ge quantities of food to be distri-buted by light machines, as at

Tibooburra.

Ihe * eiuibing range ot light planes being used at present would probably not allow stations high up to be reached with adequate supplies from Tibooburra.

May Last Two Months

The task is expected to be a long one. as it is expected' that trucks will not be able to reach the erea within two months.

, Cordillo airstrip, which is well situated, is believed to be service-able for large planes. There are between 25 and 30 stations in the

area.

A large Mack Diesel truck, carrying- a load of between two and three tons, will leave today to make the first attempt to reach Tibooburra since the floods began.

The truck will not carry perish-ables, and may take a wirelessI transceiver set operating off the

1 batteries.

I Crew of the truck, which has

tandem drive, will be Moasrs. George Harris '(driver.) and K.

Gibbard (assistant;.

Mr. Bruce Rutherford, manager of the companys ' said that the truck had a good chance of reach-ing Palgamurtie, <near Cobham Lake, where the' water was* in stretches up "to 40 miles wide and 25ft. deep, "but the driver would then have to pick his own course.

The worst stretch "was between Palgamurtie and One Tree. That was mostly under water, and de-tours Nvould-''navej^fo 'be made.'

A truck, which^had 'been strand-

ed at Tibooburra, " would also iset off in an attempt to reach Broken HilUtoday.«.

White Cliffs Attempt

The " first truck to attempt to reach White Cliffs (180 miles) with supplies will leave today. It has been specially rebuilt for boggy

roads.

The main change was the fitting of tenden axles and drive'to the rear. That gives better traction

in mud.

The truck will carry ' about ' eight tons of general supplies, merchandise and mail. Included liv the load are petrol and

cement <

\-A large Diamond.,T truck, de-veloping J 248 h.p., has." arrlved^in »Brokenj«Hill after a torturous fort-night trip along the White Cliffs 'road, during which -it covered about 150 smiles. . , <.ii

t ¡Driven ^by. Mr/ Colin Barraclough the unit, with a large semi> frailer, ? left White «Cliffs, with a ,\oad of wool. Í '

' ' fae had to abandon the. trailer

at Nuntherungie, about' 50 mile«

from White Cliffs.

The manager of Innamincka Station (Mr. Ferguson) is be-lieved to have lost his car, which was washed away by the flood into Cooper Creek.

The area is reported to be almost completely under water, which is still rising.

The homestead was washed away in the record 1906 flood, and one in 1939 reached within 10ft. of the previous flood mark;

The present flood is within 3ft. of the 1906 flood mark and with the waters rising as Queensland créeks flow down, the mark, may

be reached'.

Since February 19, 1,940 points of rain, have fallen ,in the area.

Belter At

Tibooburra

Graziers from ' ten stations^ in the Tibooburra district have been able to get into » that' township in the past couple of days.

Constable A. Armstrong, of Tibooburra, reported yesterday that graziers from Coralla Downs, Wompah, Olive Downs, Peak Hill, Mt. Wood, One Tree,

Milpara, .Warri Gate, Whyjonta, j

and Clifton Downs had been able

to collect supplies. I The N.S.W. Police Force AvroAnsoo, down for servicing yester-day, made an early morning flight to Tibooburra today with goods.

Planes have also landed consign-ments at Milparinka, and some pastoralists in that area have been able to get into the township.

The Hannigan family of Sanpah Station, are sheltering at Mr. J. McClureN Yelka Station.

Mr. Scotty Schied, who had been stranded between Orientos and Nappa Merrie at the height of the floods, has reached Nappa Merrie. He will proceed to his property at Karmona when travel is possible.