BAMOS
Mar 2020
The Drought Relief Act (1914) had been passed in South
Australia in order to provide Government assistance to farmers
during times of water shortage and, by early January 1915,
thousands of applications had flooded in 4 , producing some
trepidation in government circles.
The Prime Minister, Andrew Fisher, was deeply worried about
the issue and it was alleged by his political opponents that he
attempted to downplay the severity of the drought in order
to minimise Government expenditure on the issue—State or
Federal. Fisher may also have been concerned about the effect
of a severe drought on national morale, with the First World
War casting a lengthening shadow across the optimism of
post‑Federation Australia.
Australia had officially entered the war on 4th August 1914—
at the height of the drought—and the massive impact of this
decision started to bite soon after, with financial demands and
a drain in manpower, particularly in rural areas, progressively
ramping up during 1915.
Fisher’s Labor Government had promised total support to the
“Mother Country”, declaring “Australians will stand beside our
own to help and defend her to our last man and last shilling”. 5
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Fisher was concerned that a rural crisis would add further strain
to Australia’s increasingly precarious financial position.
The Warracknabeal Herald reported on Prime Minister Fisher’s
Budget Speech in December 1914. 6 There was intermittent
laughter from the Opposition that was referenced in the
article. There was also a reference made to the Commonwealth
Meteorologist—Henry Ambrose Hunt—the founding Director
of the Bureau of Meteorology who held the position from 1908
to 1931.
Mr Fisher said:
Next to the war the most important consideration
for the people of Australia at the present time is that
of the season. The Commonwealth Meteorologist
takes a very hopeful view of the weather prospects.
(Prolonged laughter.)
There are people out there who are always trying to
make things to be worse than they really are. This is
a small drought and members opposite are trying to
magnify it into a national calamity.
(Renewed opposition laughter)
The Murray River at Moorook in 1915 showing the very low river flow in the area during early 1915.
Source: State Library of South Australia