River at Wandadura Rose Very Fast

The Sydney Morning Herald

10 July 1852

Goulburn. The Late Flood. July 6.

The most distressing intelligence reaches us from day today respecting the loss and danger of life and property by the late flood, it has been reported that a gentleman connected with this district for many years, but who removed to Gundagai about eighteen months ago, has perished. We forbear giving his name, till the intelligence is authenticated.

We have just seen a letter received by Mr. A. Lawley, of this town, written at the head station of the Messrs. Jeffrey, situated on the Murrumbidgee, called Wandadura, of date 30th June, wherein it states that on Friday evening the 22nd June, about twelve o'clock, the river rose very fast, which caused all the people at the station, including Mr. Jeffrey (the younger), to fly for their life to a tree from which a pole was passed to another, on which ten persons took refuge, viz., five men, two women, and three small children; and there they had to remain for thirty hours exposed to all the privations of cold and hunger, and with nothing but wet clothes on. Mr. Jeffrey was nearly drowned; he descended the tree for some purpose, and was carried away by the current, and was only saved from perishing, by getting hold of another.

All the huts, storehouses, woolshed, &e., have been washed away, with six months supplies; it will take £500 to cover the loss; as may be expected, the only provision to be had when the flood subsided was wet wheat and mutton. We are glad to be able to state that the sheep were all saved. The only house which stood the devastating element was that of the overseer, and the water was up to the wall plates.

We fear we shall have more such records to make of a similar or even more distressing kind. Every house or hut situate on the banks of the river has suffered more or less; carts and drays had to be chained to trees, and not a few swept away entirely.