1st October 1829

In October 1829 “spectacular” rainfall was experienced throughout the Hunter Valley, breaking four years (1826-1829) of drought. A high number of rain days were recorded in the following year, ¹ which must have been a relief to everyone in the colony.

In 1995, Dulcie Hartley wrote about the 1829 drought: she wrote:

In 1829 drought conditions were again harsh, and the Hunter Vally was described as ‘a scene of wretchedness – the grass withered up to the root and the wheat and barley shrivelled up and the settlers were almost broken-hearted’ ²

1. Source: Royal Meterological Society – A Historical Climate Dataset for South Eastern Australia, 1788-1859[↩]
2. Source: Dulcie Hartley Men of Their Time: Pioneers of the Hunter River 1995: 25, 26[↩]