NAME Walter Ash
BORN c1883
DIED ?
MILITARY SERIAL NO. 19231
UNIT 7th F.A.B.
ENLISTED Sydney 7 December 1915
DISCHARGED Sydney 31 December 1917 – Medically Unfit

 Walter Ash took up a block in the Forbes Land District. The block a Settlement Purchase No. 1930/1 was a part of the Lake Cowal Estate located near Wyalong.

The holding was badly flooded in 1931 and the property was inundated with snakes.  With his wife feeling the terrible strain she became seriously ill.  He sent his wife and child away for eighteen months to recover.  To add to his problems in 1932, a major fire broke out in his house, destroying everything except the clothes he stood up in.

 See Walter Ash’s Diary (and transcript) below dating from 30 May 1931 until 28 July 1931.[1]

 The property was transferred by sale on 13 May 1935 to Robert Valentine Dent.[2]

Footnotes

[1] SRNSW:  Lands Department;  NRS 8058,  Returned Soldiers loan files; [12/7492 No. 14471] Walter Ash Diary 30 May 1931 – 28 July 1931. 

[2] Ibid,  Notification of Registration of Transfer, 11 October 1935.

Sources used to compile this entry:

State Records of NSW:  Lands Department;  NRS 8058, Returned Soldiers loan files; [12/7492 No. 14471] Walter Ash.

National Archives of Australia: B2455, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers (Walter Ash) online: http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=3036729

Walter Ash Diary

30 May 1931 – 28 July 1931 

30 May 1931 Main road now submerged on south:  water rising in bottom paddock about 800 acres covered
31 May 1931 Flood rising slowly, forcing kangaroos and forces towards the house –  few snakes about killed five on edge of water
1 June 1931 Water cause 300 yards nearer to house
2 June 1931 Water coming through western boundary gate, looks serious – 3 more snakes – centipedes moving away from approaching water in thousands
3 June 1931 Water still rising only 400 acres dry land – snakes getting numerous – 6 killed today
4 June 1931 Water came 150 yards closer. Thousands of sea gulls arrived – many pelicans and black swans
5 June 1931 Hell! Things look pretty serious – water only 300 yards away – rose 8 inches – 11 snakes including 3 ring snakes
6 June 1931 Brought killing sheep to sand hill, snakes getting a serious menace, have to wear top boots for protection – 8 today
7 June 1931 Had a whole day at snakes – got 37 including 17 tigers – 9 black – 8 brown and 3 ring – wife getting very nervous
8 June 1931 Water still rising, dog bitten by snake and died – 4 snakes Commenced embankment around house
9 June 1931 Making embankment water now within 100 yards of house Counted 187 kangaroos on sand hill, garden now covered 2 snakes in kitchen this morning
10 June 1931 20 yards more and water will reach embankment put mesh all around to keep insects from the house. Countless number of ducks here now 
 PAGE 2 11 June 1931  

Wood heap floated away – rescued it – water rising in shed – 3 snakes in shed. Swung the beds to the ceiling, one snake in rocking chair and another near fire in dining room – getting a bit windy of them myself. First full night’s sleep I have had for 8 days
12 June 1931 House completely surrounded – 11 snakes on embankment 3 in kitchen – 2 in house. Dante’s Inferno has got nothing on this. Wife feeling the strain:  thank goodness there will be no more bloody snakes in the house after now.
13 June 1931 The devil’s number, foxes cleaned up the fowl house last night, 3 killing sheep dead – one yearling heifer bitten also and died – feel like Robinson Crusoe
14 June 1931 Another day of snakes – only 23.Getting them cleaned up a bit now. Wife in dead faint when I got back – thought she was bitten at first:  Only 30 acres out of water
15 June 1931 Wife very ill. Kangaroos and foxes kept us awake nearly all night.  Will try and get out tomorrow.
16 June 1931 Wife very ill.  Tried to get out, all gates choked with floating trees. Horse got caught in submerged fence – wouldn’t try it the second time.  Got nearly drowned, drenched to the skin and nearly frozen, water icy cold.No land visible except mountains in the distance.
17 June 1931 Haven’t enough solder to build a boat – can’t build a raft as all the oil drums have floated away.  Gave Jessie calomel and aspirin.  She is very ill.
PAGE 3 

18 June 1931

  

 Wife seriously ill – cannot eat – extremely nervous and vomiting.  40 miles to nearest doctor.  Through 28 miles of water
19 June 1931 Wife worse – unconscious till 3pm.  Giving her brandy and milk. Haven’t seen a human being since 24 May
20 June 1931 Wife delirious
21 June 1931 Wife still delirious:  temperature 102.5 – gave double dose calomel as last resort – brought it down to 99.8.  Had 4 hours sleep – first since Wednesday while Stanley watched his mother. Feel much better, was nearly all in.
22 June 1931 Wife slightly improved, can now move her hands
23 June 1931 Wife more restful, giving brandy and milk, flood within 22 inches of top of embankment and still rising
24 June 1931 Wife about same, looks ghastly, timber with 2 snakes washed against front fence.  Netting fence commenced to lean over with weight of timber
25 June 1931 Wife worse, can’t hear her speak. Looks queer about the eyes, doesn’t know Stanley or I.  I think she will die
26 June 1931 Wife a little stronger, opened her eyes.  Saw myself in mirror today, nearly fainted, forgot I hadn’t shaved for 10 days.  Had a shave, got a bath and slept 6 hours.
27 June 1931 Wife a little better, water rose 10 inches since Tuesday has another foot to go before she comes over the bank there nemesis
28 June 1931 Wife slightly improved.  Killed last sheep I have on the place today.  Kangaroos have eaten the place bare
PAGE 4 

29 June 1931

   

Wife improved again a little today
30 June 1931 I think wife will live.  Desperately weak but temperature normal.  Had to shoot the kangaroos today, shot 34 – 9 foxes hunted the rest into the flood.  Poor devils.  Stood on a tiger snake, bit my rubber boot – miss as bad as a mile.
1 July 1931 Wife’s temperature still normal, very helpless. Several articles of food now finished, others getting a bit low.  Above 5 gallons of kerosene left
2 July 1931 Four inches to the top of the bank. Will it be like the calliope and stand the strain.  I have erected a tent on the sand hill in case of emergency
3 July 1931 Felt like cheering at midnight.  Wife better.  The bank held and flood is at long last stationary. A scene of desolation on all sides;  an eerie stillness at night; broken only occasionally by the cry of a swan or gull and the splash of wild ducks.  It’s getting on my nerves.  Would give my chance of eternal salvation for a good stiff brandy.  Cant’ afford to have it; none to spare.
4 July 1931 Aeroplane went over today going S.S.W thought it was the dove from Noah’s Ark.  Got 11 ducks in one shot from kitchen door
5 July 1931 Flood has now been stationary for two days, not a fence in sight, feel more than ever like Robinson Crusoe.  Well that’s that.  Flood stationary when will it fall?
PAGE 5 

6 July 1931

   

All that is left on the farm now is:-
  1 wife – ill
  1 child – well
  1 damned lunatic – that’s myself – fed up
  4 horses – 4 cattle innumerable reptiles crawling
  2 dogs, kangaroos & foxes – number not known
  1470 acres ducks, geese, swans, pelicans and sea gulls
  25 acres dry land.  Hell:  I’m fed up
7 July 1931 Wife sat up today
8 July 1931 Flood stationary would like one of the boy reporters that write flood reports to come this way. It will make him shed tears of blood and cry for his mamma
9 July 1931 Nothing to enter.  Have now exhausted my vocabulary of oaths, profane and otherwise, will have to manufacture some.
10 July 1931 Two dead sheep, caught in barbed wire on netting fence, thoroughly ripe, floated them off.  Hell didn’t they stink.  Merry Christmas to whoever gets them
11 July 1931 Heavy storm with thunder and lightening.  Whipped flood into foam, rained heavily.  A little drop more won’t do any harm.  Jupiter …… has some big watering can to be sure
12 July 193113 July 1931 Rained all day.  Haven’t had any mail or newspapers for nearly 2 months.  Wonder if they have started another war – it’s better than this.Devil’s number again, flood fell an inch. 
PAGE 6      
14 July 1931 Had change of diet – caught a fish – 5 lbs.  If we live on ducks much longer we ought to develop webbed feet and sprout feathers
15 July 1931 Water fell ½ inch now stationary
16 July 1931 Flood stationary
17 July 1931 Water rose 2 inches. Hell!
18 July 1931 Stationary
19 July 1931 Oh Hell!  Fed Up!
20 July 1931 Like the Ancient Mariner – water, water everywhere
21 July 1931 More fed up
22 July 1931 Thousands of crows arrived – like birds of ill omen
23 July 1931 Like Micawber I’m waiting for something to turn up.  Food nearly finished, must get through or starve
24 July 1931 Kissed my bonnie laddie in his sleep and said bye to Jessie at daybreak.  Am writing this by lamp light – perhaps it will be my last entry, feel pretty rotten leaving them.  I wonder is it really good bye.
25 July 1931 Got home. All in.
26 July 1931 Sick
27 July 1931 Better today.  Got 2 ½ lbs solder, more precious than gold. Started to make boat.  Mare cast this morning raised her and got her up. Gave 6 oz ……….??  – poor beast she saved our lives.
28 July 1931 Ground smells like a sewer, alkali in water and rotting all vegetation.  Used all the disinfectant I had – place still reeks.