The World War II droughts 1937-45

As in the Federation drought, dry conditions were more or less endemic during the period 1937 through 1945 over eastern Australia. Conditions first began to decline seriously in 1937, with New South Wales, Victoria, much of Queensland and parts of Western Australia affected. Isolated parts of NSW, notably in the central west, suffered record low rainfall.

Things worsened in 1938 - remarkably so, for this was a La Niña year. Drought intensified in NSW and Victoria, and also spread to eastern South Australia and the grain-growing areas of southwest Australia; Australian wheat yields plummeted to their lowest level since 1914. In Victoria, an extremely dry six-month spell commenced in August: forests became tinder-dry, leading to the disastrous “Black Friday” bushfires of January 1939. Relief finally came with heavy rain in late February 1939 over Victoria, South Australia and NSW, and rains were generally abundant over eastern and central Australia for the remainder of 1939.

The 1939 rains were but a respite. Dry weather set in again in December, and 1940, a strong El Niño year, was one of the driest years of the century over most of southern Australia. By August 1940 the Nepean Dam in NSW was empty; by October, water restrictions were imposed in Brisbane. In the west, Perth had its driest year on record. The drought loosened its grip in the southeastern States in November, and more emphatically so in January 1941, when heavy rains fell.

The second half of 1941 was again very dry along the eastern seaboard, with water restrictions necessary in Sydney from September onwards. Fortunately, 1942 was a year of good general rain - the value of which became more evident when drought returned to the southern States in 1943, followed by an even worse 1944. By April 1944, northern Victoria was carting water, and failure of the winter-spring rains led to failure of the wheat crop.

As the drought extended into 1945, large rivers virtually dried up. By December 1944 the Hunter had ceased to flow along most of its course; by January the Hawkesbury was dry at North Richmond. By April 1945, most Victorian water storages were empty, the Murray had ceased to flow at Echuca, and Adelaide faced water shortages. As far north as Townsville here were water restrictions. Dust storms raged in South Australia, northern Victoria and southern NSW on many days in the summer of 1944-45. The drought finally ended in the southern States in winter 1945, ensuring a good wheat crop, but continued into 1946 in southern Queensland and northern NSW (in some parts, 1946 was the worst year of the lot!). It wasn't until 1947 that significant general rains effectively ended the long drought.

Go to top

cyclone | storm | drought | flip side | flood | temperature | fire