Page 22 - eMuse Vol.9 No.02_Classical

BILLY MATEER

THE MAN WHO RACED THE FLOOD
by Athony Hammill

Heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary
things. By that measure, Billy Mateer was a hero
and much more. Unfortunately, he is also a
neglected hero.
William (Billy) Mateer (1870- lowing late telegrams from sta-
1934) was born at Euroombah tions on the Upper Brisbane and
Station near Taroom, central its tributaries, dated yesterday:-
Queensland, to David Mateer ................................
and Eliza Mateer (nee Kennedy), Esk.- Mr H.P. Somerset, of
Irish immigrants. He worked as a Caboonbah, telegraphed to the Queen Street, Brisbane during the Great Flood of 1893.
stockman on William Kent’s Dal- Under Secretary for the Post
gangal Station at Eidsvold and Office, as follows, at 4.50p.m.:-
drove cattle to Brisbane via the Prepare at once for flood. River
Brisbane Valley. He is reputed to here within 10ft. of 1890 flood,
have dealt in horses and to have and rising fast; still raining. Will
been an excellent horseman advise when river falling.’
himself, which events would Two telegrams were also
seem to prove. sent that afternoon and even-
THE THREE CYCLONES ing from the private Electric
February 1893 saw three cy- Telegraph station at Cressbrook
clones cross the central Queens- and published along with Hen-
land coast and cause floodwa- ry’s, and the Courier warned,
ters to surge down the Brisbane ‘A heavy flood is now regarded
River, the first and third of which as imminent as soon as waters
were to displace a third of Bris- from the Upper Brisbane and
bane’s population. During the Stanley can get down.’
first flood Henry Somerset of By Thursday afternoon large Southbank, Brisbane during the Great Flood of 1893. Note the
Caboonbah Station, 6.5 km be- areas of Gympie and Marybor- Ship Inn in the center near the front.
low the junction of the Brisbane ough were already submerged,
and Stanley rivers, sent Harry and by Saturday the floodwa- Esk were down due to the first on 11 February. The third cy-
Winwood, a stockman, through ters in Mary St. Gympie were flood, Billy volunteered to wire clone on Friday 17 February
the waters to nearby Esk to warn thirty feet deep, and across Henry’s warning to the Brisbane crossed at Bundaberg, the most
Brisbane by telegraph. This ride Brisbane St. Ipswich. In Bris- GPO from North Pine (Petrie) southerly of the February cy-
was itself a notable effort, as bane by Friday 3 February the across the D’Aguilar Range. clone landfalls. It became a
it involved crossing Gallanani rain had been falling steadily DATE OF THE RIDE major rain depression, causing
Creek in full flood. for more than a week, the river Do we know the date of flooding from Rockhampton to
That first cyclone crossed the rising, and low-lying suburbs al- Billy’s ride? I can now say that, Grafton. It dumped its rain on
coast on Wednesday 1 February ready inundated. Much worse beyond all reasonable doubt, already saturated catchments
(time unknown), and we now was to follow over the week- Billy’s ride took place on Fri- and swollen rivers including
know Henry’s telegram was end with the arrival of the main day 17 February 1893. It was a the Brisbane and Stanley. There
sent from Esk at 4.50 pm on floodwaters, with a third of the daylight dash across the range, was absolutely nothing to slow
Thursday 2 February. Accord- population displaced, and the a D’Aguilar Daylight Dash if you its progress. But is it reasonable
ing to Henry, the great surge of loss of the Victoria Bridge early will, and there are sound rea- to claim that it created a surge
water occurred after breakfast Monday morning; but by then sons for this conclusion. which passed Caboonbah the
(ie. on Thursday), and he and the waters were receding. As Peter Baddiley, Regional same day? The answer to that is
bullock driver Andrews spent The second cyclone on 11 Hydrology Manager, Water Di- a resounding ‘Yes!’
considerable time trying unsuc- February caused river levels vision, Bureau of Meteorology The answer lies within the
cessfully to rescue cows and to rise only moderately. At the says, cyclones which cross the pages of The Bundaberg Mail
horses in a paddock on the op- time of the third cyclone which Central Queensland coast have and Burnett Advertiser of Mon-
posite side of the river. He then crossed the coast on Friday 17 an almost immediate effect on day 20 February 1893. Accord-
conceived the idea of warning February, Billy Mateer was visit- the upper Brisbane Valley. The ing to the paper, on Monday 13
Brisbane, and sent Harry to Esk. ing Caboonbah, perhaps seek- first crossed the coast at Yeppoon the sky was clear. On Wednes-
On Friday 3 February the ing shelter from the inclement on 1 February (time unknown), day afternoon heavy clouds ap-
Brisbane Courier reported on conditions. With river levels and the huge surge of water peared and rain began to fall.
page 5 under the heading THE once more at critical heights, passed Caboonbah early the fol- From 8am Thursday heavy rain
UPPER BRISBANE WATERS: Henry again decided to wire a lowing morning on 2 February. fell, and from 9am to 9pm, 6
‘To the Weather Bureau we warning to Brisbane. Since the The second and lesser cy- inches 48 points were recorded,
are indebted for most of the fol- telegraph lines from nearby clone crossed at Bustard Heads with heavy rainfall inland. The

22 eMuse February 2020