The 1965-68 drought

The decade from 1957 was generally dry, and could be compared with the droughts of 1895-1903 and 1937-45 in area and severity. Large areas of central Australia, and to a lesser extent, northern Australia, were affected to varying degrees between 1957 and 1964. The odd years in this period tended to be worse, with some relief in the intervening even years. Eastern Australia suffered less up to 1964, but was greatly affected from 1965 to 1968; this latter phase of the drought is described here.

Towards the end of 1964 drought developed over northwestern New South Wales, and then to most of the country in 1965, sparing only Western Australia and the far north. The first six months of 1965 were especially dry over the eastern states, central Australia and South Australia. Canberra received just 26mm (9 percent of average) between January and May. In South Australia, better rains from July to September 1965 enabled a satisfactory wheat crop, though this was spoilt somewhat by hot, dry conditions in October. NSW and Queensland received temporary relief in December, before another hot, dry interlude over NSW ended with good rain in March 1966.

The trend for even years to be generally wetter continued, with above-average rains in the second half of 1966 over most of Australia, save in Queensland and Tasmania. Record August rains provided timely relief over inland pastoral districts of Queensland, but in Tasmania a dry end to 1966 set the scene for disastrous fires early in 1967.

Intense drought returned to southeastern Australia in 1967: the first six months were the driest January-June period this century over large areas of Victoria, southeastern South Australia, and northeastern Tasmania. Unseasonal dust-storms ripped across South Australia in late May (reducing visibility in Adelaide to just one kilometre on the 29th), and again in late July. By now, parts of southwestern Victoria were being declared drought areas. Though wheat was sown, yields were greatly limited due to the return of extremely dry conditions from mid-September. The oat crop was virtually wiped out. Large numbers of stock were moved from western Victoria to Gippsland and parts of NSW, but even in these areas conditions were deteriorating by November. In Melbourne, 1967 remains the driest year in its 140 years of records.

The drought began to break early in 1968, first with heavy rains in early January over northern South Australia, and over the rest of that state (except the southeast) in mid-January. By March, useful rains had fallen in most areas, but drought lingered in southern and eastern Victoria until copious rains in late April and May finally put an end to it. Most of Australia had good rains in 1968, except the NSW coast south from Newcastle: rainfall at Sydney and Eden in 1968 was the lowest for 80 years. Severe spring bushfires flared in the Blue Mountains, but general rain in December finally ended the drought.