Page 23 - eMuse Vol.9 No.02_Classical

rain and wind abated shortly af- BILLY’S RIDE
ter midnight Thursday, indicat- Billy set off riding Luna-
ing that the eye of the cyclone tic, one of Henry’s horses, the
was over Bundaberg. second, Oracle, having broken
By 9am Friday Bundaberg loose as Henry and Billy crossed
had over the previous 24 hours the flooded Brisbane by boat to
recorded 8 ins 8 pts, Gympie gain access to the North Pine
9ins 5 pts, and Mt Perry 8ins track. It was standard practice to
43 pts. Both north and south take two horses, one for backup
Bundaberg were inundated. as required. It has been estimat-
Brisbane received such heavy ed by Ellis Campbell, a horseman
rain that by Friday afternoon of note, that the ride in those
there were fears of another conditions, undertaken solely in
flood, which were fully realised daylight hours, would have tak-
when on Sunday at 10.20 am en a minimum of seven hours.
the floodwaters peaked just 25 Billy accomplished his mis-
cm below that of the first flood. sion, dashing 40-45 miles over
On Monday the Bundaberg rough bush tracks which he had
paper stated, “News was re- probably never ridden before,
ceived from Brisbane on Friday raging creeks and the D’Aguilar
afternoon, and issued by us as Range, in the teeth of a tor-
an ‘extraordinary’, of another rential downpour, to send his
serious flood there, which in- message from the North Pine
creased the uneasiness here.” railway station. A plaque at the Henry Plantagenet Somerset 1936, a few moths before his death.
Peter Baddiley writes, “From building, which has been relo- game stockman, named Billy wife she would know the essen-
the limited data that is avail- cated to Old Petrie Town, com- Mateer, from Mr W. Kent’s Sta- tials of his story. Unfortunately,
able and our flood modelling memorates his feat. Wil Buch, tion- “Dalgangal”, happened to with the lapse of twenty-four
for that event, the Brisbane R. the range Ranger, reports that be here, I got him to take my years since Billy’s death, she
at Caboonbah would have been after heavy rain, Reedy Creek second warning by swimming had forgotten the destination.
rising strongly during the 16 Feb is up to the windshield of four two horses (“Oracle” by “The That does not, however, negate
1893, and at a high level during wheel drives; and these condi- Khedive” (imp) out of “Orphan” the validity of her evidence. In-
the early hours of 17 Feb (Fri- tions were cyclonic! But despite by “Oakwood”, and “Lunatic” deed, historians have cause to
day) and continuing to rise. this heroic effort the telegram by “Gostwyck” son of “Kelpic” be suspicious of people who
Heavy rain occurred on the was never published. (imp.) from “Lydia” by “Cos- have perfect recall!
16-17 Feb 1893- for example, What good could Billy’s tel- sack”) across the combined Thirdly, oral evidence is
Woodford recorded 296 mm egram have done? Although river behind the boat, which I scarce, but stories handed
[nearly 12 ins] for 24 h period by Saturday morning low-lying rowed, while Mateer handled down through the generations
to 9am 17th.” areas of Brisbane were already the horses, (thus avoiding the are valuable. Today my father
It is therefore easy to under- inundated, and Brisbanites al- Stanley River) and by riding up and I are two of the few people
stand that by daylight on Friday ready feared another severe Reedy Creek (which he had to living who talked to someone
at Caboonbah the alarm bells flood, Billy’s telegram would swim) and crossing D’Aguilar who not only remembered the
were ringing loudly, prompt- have confirmed their worst range he made for North Pine flood, but who confirmed that
ing Henry to send Billy over the fears, stressing the imperative (now Petrie); but, as “Oracle” the ride took place. Around
range that morning. In fact Fri- for immediate evacuation. Cir- broke loose and swam back, 1962 old Paddy Brennan of
day was the only day on which cumstance denied them that “Lunatic” alone had to carry Somerset Dam told us that Hen-
Billy could have been sent. His vital information. Mateer on his memorable jour- ry Somerset sent a rider across
goal would have been to send EVIDENCE OF THE RIDE ney, and both horse and rider the range to warn Brisbane dur-
the wire by late that afternoon So what evidence do we got safely to North Pine.” ing the 1893 floods. He made
to ensure it was rushed to the have confirming Billy’s ride? Secondly, apart from Henry’s no qualifications to the state-
Courier to appear in Saturday’s Firstly, here is Henry’s brief testimony, the only other writ- ment. The Brennan and Somer-
edition, as the paper wasn’t mention of the event in his ar- ten evidence we have of Billy’s set families were friends, living
published on Sunday, and cer- ticle ‘The 1893 Flood’ published ride comes from his wife Johan- only a few kilometres apart,
tainly Monday would have been in the Esk Record of Saturday18 na. In 1958, as a result of a con- and old Madge Brennan used to
far too late. Even a Saturday June 1932: troversy regarding the Esk ride, tell us about Henry arriving by
morning wire would have been “..so, when a fortnight later she wrote a letter to the Editor sulky to visit her family. On the
pointless. the second ‘93 Flood came of The Courier-Mail confusing weight of evidence, then, Billy
Henry would have been well down (it was not the Stanley Billy’s ride with the Esk ride. did reach North Pine. No one
aware of all this, so it was be- but the Upper Brisbane River Probably she thought there was has ever denied it.
yond doubt an early Friday ride. this time, a point which I have only the one ride, but signifi-
A small window of opportunity tried to emphasize in dealing cantly she says, ‘’My husband
was open, and both Henry and with Flood Prevention) as much was the stockman who took the
Billy dived through it! Geoff of the telegraph line was down message of flood warning. He This amazing story of this
Cossins, an engineer who was between Esk and Ipswich (and had to swim flooded creeks and arguably the greatest ride
involved with the construction beyond about Goodna) and the river to get down. I under- in history continues next
of Somerset Dam, supports this it was therefore impossible stand him to say that they did
conclusion. to wire a warning; as a good not take any notice of it.’’ As his month . . .

February 2020 eMuse 23