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SNOW FALLS

Snow regularly falls on the Stirling Ranges south of Gnowangerup when weather conditions are cold enough. In some years snow fell further north as far as Gnowangerup as has been recorded by the images gathered and shown here.
 

1908 SNOW AT KOJONUP               #!
 

1920 29th June Tambellup Times
On June 29th snow fell from 10.55 a.m. to 11.20 a.m., and Again from 11.40 a.m. to 11.50 a.m. Tunney town reports snow fell there for about an hour, Marleyup also experienced a heavy fall. The day was exceptionally cold.
The Snow Storm. — Further particulars have come to hand with regard to the fall of snow experienced in the district last Tuesday. Passengers ...on the Perth-Albany express enjoyed the novel experience of travelling through a snow storm from Broomehill right to Mt. Barker the fall being heavy enough to cause accumulations of snow on the platforms and roofs of the carriages.
By the time it was light enough to see any distance, it could be seen that the whole countryside had assumed a strange whiteness, and at the sidings or farmhouses adjacent to the line, children could be seen making snowballs and playing in the snow. At Mt. Barker the fall was heavy enough to powder the passengers with snow whilst finding their way to the refreshment booth, the ground was covered to a depth of several inches, the resultant view being beautiful in the early morning sunlight, as straggling beams broke through the mists.

1928 June WINTRY WEATHER. SN0W IN THE SOUTH
Squalls and General Rain. The West Australian

Cold, rainy weather, with occasional squalls and hail, was general throughout the southern portion of the State yesterday.
From Mount Barker came a report of snow in the town and in the Porongorup and Stirling ranges.
A telegram from our correspondent stated that a light fall commenced at 6 a.m., and lasted half an hour. This was followed by a heavier fall of sleet, and the ground was partly covered. The snow on the trees was a beautiful sight.
The fall was heavy in the Porongorups, where it snowed for an hour and a half. Snow fell also in the Stirling ranges, the summits and the trees being white Falls were also reported from Kendenup, Tenterden, and Cranbrook. There was heavy rain overnight, the telegram concluded, and bitterly cold conditions were prevailing. The maximum temperature at Mount Barker on Wednesday was 48deg., and the minimum reading fell to 34deg. yesterday morning, when the snow fell.

1936 17th September  Snow on School Ground Kendenup

On Sunday morning at 11 o'clock, Mr. Wallon, Headmaster, Kendenup
School, reported a light fall of snow at the School grounds.

1936 October Great Southern Herald

Accompanied by boisterous wind and driving rain, a heavy hailstorm was experienced at Katanning and in the surrounding district between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
The hail, which was of small size in the town, was banked to a depth of about eighteen inches against the walls of many buildings, while several vacant allotments were covered to a depth of four inches.
Some residents maintain that the hail was accompanied by snow and declared that they distinctly saw the white flakes fluttering earthwards just after the heaviest fall. Whether or not this was so, the red roofs of a number of houses on the western side of the town were completely obscured by a white mantle, which remained visible for some time after the storm.
At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, drifts of hail were still visible in the protected portions between the Mill silos. Many gutterings were blocked for several hours by the accumulation of hailstones, in some cases to the detriment of ceilings. The storm apparently followed an erratic course through the district, for hail fell as far east as Kuringup, while the town of Badgebup escaped, but no damage to crops has been reported.

1938 26th May Albany Advertiser
Albany – Middleton Beach

A very light fall of snow lasting only a few minutes, was noticed by residents of Middleton Road at about eight o'clock yesterday morning. The flakes were extremely small and melted as soon as they touched the ground.

1939 29th August Great Southern Herald
SNOW IN PORONGORUPS.

Residents in the Porongorups awoke last Thursday morning to find the hills covered with a mantle of snow from 2 to 3 inches deep after the heaviest snowfall for about 10 years. The snow lay so thickly on the ground that residents were able to make snowballs and build snowmen. Falls to a lesser degree occurred as far north as Katanning, but the snow did not survive contact with the warm earth.

1941 29th September
SNOW NEAR ALBANY
FALL AT THE PORONGORUPS.

Albany residents had cause to complain about the cold on Friday.
At 5 p.m. on that day there was a light fall of snow at Steicke's farm, about four miles east of the Porongorups and some thirty miles from Albany.
Steicke's farm is situated at Wattle Hill, one of the highest points in the Porongorups.
The snow was very light and not enough to cover the ground. Within half an hour it had disappeared.
This is the first time snow has fallen in this State since a fall of about three inches was recorded at Nancy's Peak, in the Porongorups on October 5, 1939. On that occasion the snow was heavy enough to make snowballs.

1946 August

There was a heavy fall of snow on the Stirling Ranges and again in October there was another heavy fall of snow and Mt Toolbrunup was completely covered to quarter of the distance down the slopes

1951 6th August
Snow on Stirlings
HEAVY FALL REPORTED

Reports from the Stirling Range indicate that heavy falls of snow occurred there during the week-end, and that between 12 and 18 inches of snow had fallen on some of the peaks. Snow was also reported to have fallen at Borden, north of the Stirling Range.
Light falls of snow, which failed to reach the ground, were reported in Albany. It was stated that the flakes could be seen easily, falling through the air, but the relatively high ground temperature caused them to melt a few feet above ground level.

1951 9th August
Snow on Stirlings VISIBLE FROM ALBANY

Snow which fell heavily on the Stirling Range on Sunday was visible from Albany on Monday. Seen through field glasses, the snow blanketed the whole of the upper part of the range and on the southern side of the peaks seemed to be lying thickly. Even with the naked eye, the white patches on the peaks could be seen.
Falls of snow on the Stirling Range are not uncommon, but usually they are light and the snow does not remain long.
Sunday's fall seems to have been unusually heavy, and to have formed deep drifts in gullies and depressions.

1953 11th September
Snow on Stirlings
MODERATE FALL

The first snow to be seen on the Stirling Ranges this year was reported on Tuesday morning by Mr. T. Muir, farmer, of Borden.
The snow was seen on Bluff Knoll about ten miles from Mr. Muir's property and was only a moderate fall. It was thought that the snow would not last for more than a day or so as the temperature had started to rise before midday Tuesday.

 

    1953 OUTSIDE MEMORIAL HALL GNOWANGERUP          #2
 

       1953 OUTSIDE ECONOMIC STORES GNOWANGERUP         #3
 

1956 Snow At Gnowangerup

Gordon and Barry Freegard were waiting in an old water tank that had been converted into a school bus stop shelter when it started to snow. Both had never seen snow before.
Because the Atomic Bomb tests had just happened at the Monte Bello Islands and there were news warnings of radio active dust circling the earth, they were convinced that this is what this white stuff was. They were worried how they would get from the shelter to the school bus when it arrived, without getting this "Atomic Dust" on them.

Then the three dutch children who caught the school bus at the same stop, came running, laughing and playing snowballs, as they approached the bus stop.

They made fun of the Freegard boys for sheltering away from the snow.
 

       1956 GNOWANGERUP RAILWAY STATION         #4
 

   1956 SCHILLINGS FARM GNOWANGERUP          #5
 

     1956 SCHILLINGS FARM GNOWANGERUP             #6
 

1965 Snow At Gnowangerup

Snow covered the ground to depths of 3 inches (7.6cm) at many places in the lower Great Southern district. The heaviest falls were near the Stirling Ranges, where up to 6 to 8 inches (15-20cm) covered paddocks near Borden, north of the ranges. Mr. V. Muir of Borden used a tractor to tow his family around their snow covered paddocks on a sleigh improvised from a sheet of iron. Snow covered the ground and roofs to provide a scene not witnessed many times by  residents of Borden.
 

 

 

       1965 ELAINE DUSTING WITH SNOWMAN SHE BUILT         #7
 

1965 Snow At Gnowangerup

   2003 ALAN FAULKNER PROPERTY           #8
 

 

       2003 ALAN FAULKNER PROPERTY         #9
 

     2003 ALAN FAULKNER PROPERTY         #10
 

       2003 ALAN FAULKNER PROPERTY         #11
 

    2003 ALAN FAULKNER PROPERTY          #12
 

     2003 ALAN FAULKNER PROPERTY           #13
 

2018 Snow At Stirling Ranges


 

       2018 BLUFF KNOLL         #14
 

       2018 BLUFF KNOLL       #15
 

        2018 BLUFF KNOLL        #16
 

2021 Snow At Stirling Ranges

       2021 BLUFF KNOLL         #18


 

SNOW AT GLENALMOND         #17
 

    SNOW AT GLENELG PAUL MOIR          #19
 

     SNOW AT GLENELG PAUL MOIR           #20
 

 


 

              #

      SNOW ON BLUFF KNOLL          #21
 

 

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

 

References:                 Article:      Research by Gordon Freegard

                                  Image:    2, 3           Ross Mill
                                                 5, 6           Gordon Freegard
                                                 7               Elaine Dusting
                                                 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,           Alan Faulkner
                                                 17             Merilyn Stewart
                                                 19, 20        Paul Moir

 


Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2024