FORTY YEARS AGO
FROM THE ‘MINER’ OF FEBRUARY 27, 1906.

[as reported happening in 1906] During a thunderstorm on Cooper’s Plains, near Brisbane, yesterday, a number of fish fell with the rain. They were all alive, and measured from 14 in. to 2h in. in length. It is believed that they were drawn up by a water spout and carried some distance before falling.

From Kalgoorlie Miner, Wednesday 27 February 1946, page 4.

The original story came from The Telegraph, 28 February 1906, page 2:

Shower of Fish.
Farm at Cooper’s Plains.

There has been brought to this office by William Hatchman, of Mildura Farm, Paradise road, Cooper’s Plain’s, a bottle containing a number of small fish, which, he states, came down in a heavy rain storm on Monday, at about noon. Mr. Hatchman says rain was falling heavily, and was accompanied by thunder and lightning when these fish noticed on the ground. They at first came slowly, in twos and threes, but soon increased in number, and the ground now is strewn with them, and the ducks on the farm are eating them. When Mr. Hatchman started for town this morning the fish were alive, and he he put some in a bottle to bring to this office. On arrival, however, there were signs of life in only one or two of them, the long journey, in the heat of a coat pocket, no doubt having something to do with the absence of life. The fish are very small whiting, and are about 1 ½ and 2 ½ inches in length. One theory, and probably the correct one, is that they were taken up in a waterspout along the coast or in the river, and then carried inland the neighbourhood of Cooper’s Plains, where they were deposited with the rain.

LATER INFORMATION.

The fish were examined by Mr. J. D. Ogilby just before we went to press, and he pronounced the fish to be of the kind known as “firetails.” They are flesh water fish, what schoolboys style gudgeon. So far as Mr. Ogilliy could judge, at first glance, the fish were not similar do anything found anywhere near Brisbane.

1906c Dart Fish Slq 99183878996902061 (resize)

Image: Dart Fish, c.1906, SLQ 99183878996902061, State Library of Queensland.