Cyclones on the Darling Downs

With a cyclone closing in on Queensland’s most populated region, it’s a timely reminder to be careful by looking back to some of the deadly storms that were reported as cyclones in the Darling Downs district as long as 142 years ago. I told a version of this story like on radio 4WK.

In April 1914, a cyclone was reported to have ripped through the Gatton district. That’s where the German-born Joseph Radke was returning home in his horse and cart after having delivered cream to the factory. And that’s when the cyclone struck. Radke was blown off his cart and drowned in a washout by the road.

In the same reported cyclone, this time at Warwick, a James Smith was blown into the Condamine River, the wind wouldn’t let him get out and he drowned.

In February 1913 in the Laidley district, another reported cyclone struck. The force of the winds was so strong that the town clock was blown off the post office.

At the same time nearby on the Forest Hill to Blenheim Road, the farmer Humphrey Ewing was loading potatoes with his son James. The cyclonic winds came with lightning, and a lightning flash knocked Ewing unconscious. When he woke up, his son was dead on one side of him, and a horse dead on the other.

In January 1906 in Dalby, houses were unroofed and denuded of verandas when a cyclone hit town. The cordial factory owned by Mr John Bradford suffered the most with the whole establishment virtually demolished, and over forty dozen bottles of cordial were smashed. It didn’t get any better for Bradford because shortly afterwards his goat was stolen.

Going further back in time, in November 1883 the worst known weather event to hit Toowoomba up to that stage was reported as a cyclone, houses were unroofed right across town, and tragically there was a fatality.

At about seven minutes past four in the afternoon, the iron foundry received the full force of the winds, with all of its buildings being unroofed. The nearby new gas works copped it even worse. The gas works had only just been built in 1879 at a cost of £9,000. That’s almost $10 million in today’s money. The gale force winds blew the gas works and its brick buildings away, everything was demolished, except for the chimney which was pretty much the only thing left standing.

A fireman by the name of George Morton was working in the manufacturing chamber when the building was blown down on top of him. He narrowly missed being killed despite being struck by the falling mass of bricks. He sustained severe head injuries, and even after being rescued he passed out due to the loss of blood.

Working near Morton was the manager of the gas works Mr Henri Weber. He was sheltering in the chamber while the cyclone was raging around him. Mr Weber was killed when over two tons of masonry fell directly on top of him.

Weber tragically left a widow and six children. Toowoomba rallied around and raised a public subscription in their support.

So even 142 years ago, Toowoomba rallied to support its own. Please everyone be careful in the coming days.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO A VERSION OF THIS STORY TOLD ON RADIO 4WK.