Collection 03: Hawkesbury River floods and mouse plague in western New South Wales, 23 February-27 March 2021, photographs by Dean Sewell

sub-fonds

23 February-27 March 2021

Graphic Materials, Photographs

9661551

14 photographs - digital, TIFF, colour

In February 2021, Dean Sewell photographed the mouse plague that has devastated crops and livelihoods in western New South Wales.

In March 2021, Sewell documented the damage caused by the Hawkesbury River floodwaters. The new Windsor Bridge, which had only opened in May 2020, was submerged, cutting off direct access to the area. The State Emergency Services (SES) provided emergency relief and assistance to stranded residents including delivery of food and clean-up supplies.

The Black Diamond Wakeboarding school on the Hawkesbury River near Wisemans Ferry was also damaged by the floods. Owner Scotty Kell, one of Australia’s first professional wakeboarders, was left with the debris.

References:
Library acquisition file

14 digital photographs documenting the Hawkesbury River floods around Windsor, Pitt Town and Wisemans Ferry, and the mouse plague in Coonamble and Warren, New South Wales.

Item 01: Farmer Jason Hogland inspects hay bales that have been detroyed by a mouse plague, Warren, New South Wales, 23 February 2021

Item 02: Stockpiles of wheat awaiting sale are guarded under heavy tarpaulins at GrainCorp facilities, Coonamble, New South Wales, 24 February 2021

Item 03: Broadacre farmer Allan Inglis drowns mice in containers of water before tossing their carcasses into the fields, Coonamble, New South Wales, 25 February 2021

Item 04: Broadacre farmer Allan Inglis tosses the carcasses of drowned mice into the fields, Coonamble, New South Wales, 25 February 2021

Item 05: NSW State Emergency Service members prepare to extract their inflatable rescue boats as water levels continue to rise on the Hawkesbury River, Windsor, New South Wales, 21 March 2021

Items 06-08: Emergency Services members and local residents meet with Coles employees at the Corner of George and Palmer Streets, Windsor, to dispatch supplies to Hawkesbury River residents isolated by flood waters, 24 March 2021

Item 09: A local resident drives his aluminium outboard boat through floodwaters around Pitt Town, New South Wales, 24 March 2021

Item 10: An emergency services helicopter flies over the submerged Windsor Bridge, New South Wales, 24 March 2021

Item 11: A teenage girl paddles a kayak past a submerged vehicle on Church Street, South Windsor, after floodwaters from Rickabys Creek engulfed the area, 24 March 2021

Items 12-14: Scotty Kell's family, friends and students rummage through the debris of his Black Diamond Wakeboarding School and residence to see what they could salvage and clean, Wisemans Ferry, New South Wales, 27 March 2021

In copyright:
Copyright holder:: Dean Sewell
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy Dean Sewell

Titles and dates based on information supplied by photographer