Lachlan River - History

History

The Lachlan river is within the area occupied by the Wiradjuri people. The Wiradjuri tribal area has been described as "the land of the three rivers, the Wambool later known as the Macquarie, the Kalare later known as the Lachlan and the Murrumbidgee (Murrumbidjeri). The Murray River formed the Wiradjuri's southern boundary, the change from woodland to open grassland formed their eastern boundary."

The European discoverer of the Lachlan River in 1815 was Acting-Surveyor George William Evans, who named the river after Lachlan Macquarie, the Governor of the colony of New South Wales. The Lachlan River was substantially explored by John Oxley in 1817.

In the early days of the colony of New South Wales, the southern part of the Lachlan was known as Fish River. It was only after further exploration that it was realised that these two rivers were the same river and the name Fish River was dropped.

In 1870 the river peaked at 15.9 metres at Cowra. Since 1887, the highest flood level at Forbes was in June 1952 when the river peaked at 10.80m (35 feet 3 inches) at the Forbes Iron Bridge. More than 900 families were evacuated, with many rescued from roof-tops by boat and helicopter. During the flood in August 1990, 132 houses in Forbes were affected by flood with their yards or their floors covered by water. Floods in 1992 did not reach the same levels at Forbes as in 1990, however, Lachlan Valley farmers lost about 30 percent of their lucerne crops just before harvest. At least 500 sheep were drowned on properties in the Eugowra/Trundle area and most of Eugowra's 400 residents were evacuated and some residents from Trundle. Other significant years of floods were: 1891, 1916, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1974, 1976, 1993, 1998.