Most of my Trove Tuesday posts come from articles spotted while I’m researching other topics. This week’s article was above an article about “Mike” the Leopard, one of the stars in my last post, Elsie, Rupert…and Mike.
This article caught my eye because it is from one hundred years ago and it’s about climate change and as the temperature is expected to reach 40 degrees in the Western District today, it is timely . There was reason for concern about the climate in 1914, as most parts of Australia were experiencing a severe drought that continued into 1915.

Climate. (1914, February 27). The Independent (Deniliquin, NSW : 1901 – 1946), p. 4. Retrieved January 11, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article102715750

MURRAY RIVER AT SWAN HILL DURING DROUGHT OF 1914. Image Courtesy of State Library of South Australia. http://images.slsa.sa.gov.au/godson/2/02000/PRG1258_2_1918.htm
In the year 1914 there were several articles about the big dry, including the following from the Sydney Morning Herald.

THE GREAT RIVERS. (1914, May 21). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954), p. 8. Retrieved January 13, 2014, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15509742
Most were scientific and dry, pardon the pun, and there were no others that mentioned a ruminating cow called Daisy.
I found many articles at Trove about climate change, going right back to the 1830s, but one worth reading is this article from the Brisbane Courier, March 15, 1865 – Effects of Colonisation on Climate.
A vey pertinent extract Merron, I think those of us who read old newspapers are more aware than most of the vagaries of climate over the decades.
LikeLike