DESPITE what today’s woke warriors would have us believe Australia has been subject to regular floods since records were first kept.

We haven’t sourced many dates from our library that resulted in group deaths, save one in Macarthur in March 1946 where five family members drowned.

Former local Simone Dalton briefly revisited what happened in her history book about the township.

  “The Macarthur district was awash with an overflow from creeks and streams in the wake of a two-day, 325mm downpour,” she wrote.

 “It was 6 am when George Sparrow and his family woke to find water up to waist deep in their home.

“It should have been a time for celebration, George’s son, Roy, was home on leave from the services and his daughter, Mavis, was soon to be married.

“Fearing the flood would inundate the house, Roy was sent to nearby Bessiebelle to get help.

“When the water started coming in the door George harnessed the horse and got wife Lillian, daughter, Mavis, and sons, Ronald and Bruce, on board as he walked ahead to open the gate.

 “The track to the gate (pictured) was narrow, with a decent drop either side. Somehow the horse moved forward and strayed off the track, tipping the cart into 10 feet of water.

“The three Sparrow children were pinned underneath and mother Lillian was swept into the torrent. George forged on in search of help.

 “Near the end of the trek George started to feel sick and collapsed, leaving Roy to continue on to the farm. But by the time Roy got back to his father George was dead.

“The search for Mrs Sparrow continued for several days, with fears her body had been washed 35km south and out to sea.

“Then, three days after the tragedy she was found several miles away, her hair tangled in barbed wire.”

Spectator, March 19, 1946

PARENTS, DAUGHTER, TWO SONS DIE IN MACARTHUR TRAGEDY

FLOOD scenes of ruin and desolation unprecedented in this district are left in the wake of the torrents into which formerly placid streams were transformed by the eight inches of rain at the weekend.

Losses of fencing, stock, personal possessions and buildings are so great that no attempt has been made to compute the total in thousands of pounds.

Four people lost their lives in the foaming waters, the victims being the Sparrow family, in the Macarthur district, Mrs Sparrow, her daughter and two sons.

 Mr Sparrow, sen, collapsed when seeking help, and later died. There were countless instances of escapes from drowning, and of long enforced vigils on rooftops and haystacks.

 Many are still isolated on their properties, with broad stretches of water between them and their neighbours.

 Communications by road and rail were seriously affected, some indication of the dislocation to road traffic being afforded by the simple fact that the Dundas Shire contains no fewer than 30 bridges which are badly damaged or missing altogether.

Stories of privations, damage, escapes and unusual experiences are common to every district, and the remarkable fact emerging from the whole history of the flood is that the loss of life was not greater.

 Stock losses were considerable but cannot be accurately assessed, as many paddocks are inaccessible, and the destruction of fences has aggravated the mustering problem.      

Spectator March 21, 1946

STARK TRAGEDY AS FAMILY DROWNS

MOST harrowing story of the flood unfolds from the Macarthur district where it is learnt a father and his serviceman son saw the remainder of their family numbering four, drown while on the way to safety.

 On a perilous eight-hour trek to establish telephone communication with Macarthur, the father collapsed and died, leaving his son the only survivor.

 Victims were:

 •        George Sparrow, 58, of Gorrie Road, 7 miles from Macarthur

 •        Mrs Lillian Sparrow, 56, his wife

 •        Mavis Sparrow, 24, daughter

 •        Ronald Sparrow, 16, a son

 •        Bruce Sparrow, 22, familiarly known as “Pop”.

 The house was situated in stony country six miles from Macarthur on the Gorrie Road which leads to Bessiebelle.

 The family was awakened at 6am on Sunday and found themselves waist deep in water.

 A son who was home on leave from the services immediately set out in search of a boat.

 After harnessing a horse in a small gig with the family aboard and a son sitting on the horse’s back owing to lack of room, Mr Sparrow went ahead with the intention of opening the gate.

 It is not clear at this juncture what actually happened, but apparently the horse moved forward on its own accord along the roadway in the direction of the gate.

 The sides of the road were very precipitous and built up several feet.

 Apparently, the horse had walked off the side of the road causing the gig to capsize into about ten feet of water.

 Mr Sparrow who was shortly afterwards joined by his son who had returned without being able to locate help witnessed the disappearance of the gig but was powerless to act.

 The horse scrambled to the higher road but there was no further sign of the occupants.

 Accompanied by his son, Mr Sparrow set out for the nearest available telephone near Mr W.H. Poynton’s residence, taking the long circuitous route around Lake Gorrie in order to avoid the worst areas of flood.

 Towards the end of the trek of five miles over stony, partially flooded country, Mr Sparrow complained to his son that he was feeling ill and shortly afterwards collapsed.

 The son continued his journey to Poynton’s residence and secured assistance but on returning to his father found he was unconscious and apparently dead.

 The time was then about three o’clock on Sunday afternoon, the journey having taken about nine hours.

 First Constable J. Rose, of Macarthur, made the journey to Poynton’s where he found that Mr Sparrow was dead.

 There is no resident doctor at Macarthur. A post mortem into the death of Mr Sparrow will be held today.

 An amphibious duck lent by the military authorities passed through Hamilton yesterday afternoon on its way to Macarthur.

 Up till a late hour last night searchers, who were working up to the waist in water, had found no trace of the bodies.

 A son of the Sparrow family was working in Hamilton when news of the tragedy was brought to him.

Spectator, March 23, 1946

SOLEMN CEREMONY ATTENDED BY LARGE CONCOURSE

THE Church of England at Macarthur was crowded to capacity a full half hour before the funeral, and the service conducted there by the Rev S.L. Prentice, of Condah, was impressive and touching.

It is estimated that almost 400 travelled in cars to the cemetery, apart from many others who journeyed on foot.

Two sons are left to mourn the loss of their father and mother, sister and two brothers.

 Messrs F. Greed and Sons, of Hamilton, carried out the mortuary arrangements.