Posts Tagged ‘georges creek’
Injured man 15 hours in car.
Saturday 20 February 1954, The Sydney Morning Herald
Injured Man, 78, Sat 15 Hours In Car In River
KEMPSEY, Friday.-For more than 15 hours last night and early to-day a man, aged 78, sat in a wrecked car in the Macleay River with his neck broken and only his head above water.
His car had somersaulted at least four times down a-150ft precipice from the Kempsey Armidale road.
The man, Donald Alexander McDonald, Macleay Shire valuer, could not draw the attention of drivers of about 20 cars and trucks which passed between dawn and 9 a.m. to-day.
He was found at 9.30 a.m., but by the time he was admitted to hospital it was 3.30 p.m.-nearly 22 hours after the accident.
Macleay District Hospital authorities said to-night his condition was critical.
McDonald was driving his sedan car towards Armidale to visit his son at George’s Creek, about 6 o’clock last night, when the sun shone in his eyes at Flying Fox Cutting, 60 miles west of Kempsey.
The road follows the winding gorge of the Macleay River.
BLUE WITH COLD
McDonald’s car swerved over the edge of the road and plunged down the precipice below into the river.
The car bounced off rocks and trees and was wrecked, but it landed on its wheels in the river.
The water level had fallen six feet since the recent rain but it was still flowing rapidly.
McDonald’s spine was fractured at the neck and he quickly became paralysed from the shoulders down.
He was able to sit upright, but only his head was above water.
The mountain water was icy, and he soon became blue with cold.
McDonald remained conscious all the time.
Passing drivers saw nothing amiss because lantana, other undergrowth and trees screened the car in the river.
Ted Conn, a local resident who was driving cattle, found McDonald at 9.30 a.m.
HEARD COO-EES
Conn heard McDonald’s faint coo-ees, which led him to the nearly submerged car.
He could not free McDonald, so he rode to farmhouses at Lower Creek, about two miles away, and called out all the men available.
They levered off a door of the car with crowbars before they could lift McDonald out and lay him on the river bank.
The nearest ambulance was at Kempsey.
The ambulance superintendent, Mr. W. Menger, and Dr. A. McNeil, loaded the ambulance with operating instruments, drugs, and hotwater bottles before setting out.
They raced along the narrow, winding mountain road, but it took them two hours to reach Flying Fox Cutting.
Dr. McNeil gave McDonald injections to case his pain.
Volunteers then carried the stretcher up a steep cattle track to the ambulance.
Trucks dragged McDonald’s car out of the river late this afternoon.
Road report: Armidale to Kempsey
Friday 8 October 1937, The Sydney Morning Herald
Reporting on the road from Armidale to Kempsey the N.R.M.A. states that the run to Wollombi [sic] is over a fair to good metal and gravel surface. Steep grades and winding road require the exercise of care on the Big Hill between the summit of the range and George’s Creek, on the Upper Macleay River. At St. Helena Creek a detour is necessary because of the construction of a new bridge, and careful driving is advised. The road down the Macleay River to Bellbrook and Kempsey is very narrow and winding in places, and the going is slow. For the last l8 miles to West Kempsey much of the gravel surface is worn and corrugated. This road passes through fine scenery. Although the total distance from Armidale to Kempsey is slightly under 120 miles the average time for the trip is five hours.
River falling at Kempsey
Tuesday 23 June 1925, The Sydney Morning Herald
KEMPSEY, Monday.
Warnings Issued by the Weather Bureau on Friday and Saturday caused considerable anxiety In the Macleay district. On Saturday a slight fresh appeared In the river. On Sunday morning the river at Bellbrook was reported to be 13ft 6in high, with heavy rain pouring over George’s Creek. The river at Kempsey then was about 4ft 6in over normal summer level. It was stated this morning that at Bellbrook it had risen to 14ft 6in, but that rain had ceased at Georges Creek, and the flood was falling. Both messages stated that only light rain was falling at Armidale, from which the bulk of the flood waters come. Usual precautions were taken at Kempsey to prepare for a flood, which now is not feared.
Rainfall reports
Tuesday 25 July 1922, The Sydney Morning Herald FEELING IN COUNTRY. KEMPSEY, Monday. Torrential rain is falling, and as it is just a year ago since Kempsey's big flood, the public are much perturbed regarding the discontinu- ance of weather reports at the post-office. No information is available beyond Kempsey's rainfall. The custom of giving information regarding the conditions at Bellbrook and further up the river has been discontinued. The discovery of this fact to-day occasioned great indignation. The president of the Chamber of Commerce wired Dr. Page pro- testing and asking to do his best to have the reports made available regarding the condi- tions at Bellbrook, George's Creek, and Armi- dale. The absence of this information to people on the lower river is a serious menace, as with such rain as is now falling, floods are feared BATHURST, Monday Owing to the cutting out of the country weather reports no registrations of falls in the centres other than Bathurst have been received at the local telegraph office, caus- ing considerable indignation, and widespread complaints at the action of the Federal autho- rities. The weather reports from the western and other centres are eagerly looked for here by pastoralists who have interests in those distant localities. MINISTER'S CONCESSION. As a result of the representations made by the leader of the Country party (Dr. Earle Page), to the Minister for Home Affairs (Sena- tor Pearce), the department, it is stated, has instructed Bellbrook, on the Upper Macleay, to send out weather reports to Gladstone, the centre of the lower Macleay flats, and also to issue from the Kempsey office hourly bulletins recording the conditions at Armidale, George's Creek, and Bellbrook. Arrangements have also been made for the temporary resumption of the transmission of rainfall records from all coastal and highland stations for the purpose of advising residents of the areas that might by affected by floods.
Fatalities and accidents.
Wednesday 25 December 1901, The Sydney Morning Herald
HILLGROVE, Tuesday. The coroner, Mr. Morgan, held an inquest yester- day at George's Creek on the body of Annie Lee, who died suddenly. A verdict that death was due to natural causes was returned. John Lane, fitter, employed at Baker's Creek, dis- appeared yesterday morning. His coat and hat were found alongside the Garibaldi dam. The police dragged for the body, which was recovered about noon to-day. His throat was cut. The inquest on the body of John Lane, who was found drowned in Garibaldi Dam, was held to-day at the courthouse. The deceased had been employed as a fitter at the Baker's Creek Gold Mine. A ver- dict of suicide was returned. A proviso was added that the act was committed whilst deceased was temporarily insane. The coroner objected to the provision.
Swept Down Flooded Creek
Friday 19 February 1937, The Sydney Morning Herald
GRAZIER DROWNED KEMPSEY, Thursday. Mr. George B. Waller, of Wallarobba, well- known stock-breeder and noted Shorthorn cattle judge at many show rings on the north coast, was drowned yesterday in the Macleay River, at Kunderang. With his son, Lewis, Mr. Waller visited a station property. Creeks in the vicinity are swollen because of recent rains. On the return trip, Waller and his son were attempting to cross the mouth of Kunderang Creek, when Waller's horse lost its footing and threw its rider into the stream. He disappeared beneath the water in view of his son, who was unable to render any assistance. Lewis Waller, aided by two men on the op- posite bank, made a search, but no trace of the body could be found. News of the tragedy was sent to George's Creek settlement, and a number of men are now making a search. Mr. Waller was in charge of Moona Plains Station while Mr. and Mrs. M. Crawford were on holidays. He judged the cattle at the Guyra show last week. Mr. Waller was a member of both the gen- eral council and the cattle council of the Graziers' Association. In 1925 he unsuc- cessfully contested In the National party in- terests the Federal seat of Newcastle. In 1934, at the by-election for the Gloucester seat in the Legislative Assembly, caused by the death of Mr. Walter Bennett, he was a United Country party candidate.
Old news from Armidale and New England 