Record Transfer of Cattle to Escape Drought

16 May 1945 The Sydney Morning Herald       

The transfer of cattle from the drought areas of the Riverina to the central-western districts was described by the Acting Premier, Mr. Baddeley, yesterday as the greatest mass movement of dairying stock ever attempted by any Government.  

Yesterday the first train of 30 trucks carrying 600 dairy heifers left Wagga for Trangie and Narromine.

On arrival they will be driven to agistment areas up to 18 miles from the railway.      

A second train conveying a similar number of heifers from Tumut and Gundagai will leave Gundagai on Friday for Dubbo.

The 1,200 heifers are the property of registered dairymen.

Mr. Baddeley said officers of the Department of Agriculture were arranging to place a further 1,000 to 1,360 head of dairy stock on the Riverina on agistment in the central west.  

It was hoped, he added that two additional trains would soon transport stock to that part of the State.  

The Rural Bank was considering granting financial assistance for the transport of dairy stock to agistment country, Mr. Baddeley added.