2 July, 2015
Seeing the hard times through
Sometimes you realise that whatever hardship you are going through someone else has been
through it before.
Queensland rural lobby group AgForce has labelled the current drought as the worst in living
memory with a record 80 percent of the state officially in drought.
96 year old Dot Edwards has seen a lot of droughts in her time.
Sitting in the garden at the Waroona Multipurpose Centre in Charleville Dot recites the poem
she wrote about the ’92 drought off by heart perfectly.
Change the years and you feel the poem could have been written for the current situation.
The Drought of ‘92
Without a doubt
The present drought
Is the worst we can recall,
And man and beast
To say the least
Are hurting one and all.
From lack of rain
There is much pain
For people on the land,
So let us try as days go by
To lend a helping hand.
Our country towns are also down,
They need our effort too,
If we unite and work and fight
We’ll see the hard times through.
And when the rain does come again
And creeks and rivers run,
We can look back along the track
And see a job well done.
Then at last hard times are past
And future hopes are bright,
We all can smile and rest awhile
Knowing we’ve won fight.
Dot Edwards ©
Mrs Edwards can also perfectly recite the hymns she wrote for the All Saints’ Anglican Church
in Charleville.
“I love writing poetry, I can’t sing so I’ve got to do something,” she smiled.
“The poems just come straight out, I don’t ever think too much.”
Mrs Edwards grew up in Augathella.
“We were very poor, there were seven in the family,” she said.
“My father was a kangaroo shooter sometimes and a carpenter by trade.
“He built a lot of homes in Augathella but they weren’t those flash homes,” she laughed.
She married John Edwards who was a shearer and moved to Charleville where they had four
children.
Through those years she saw floods and droughts take their toll on her community.
“Droughts are terrible things. People suffer. The sheep and cattle die and there isn’t anything
you can do.”
Her advice to those in the current drought is to have hope and to trust in God.
ENDS
Photo Caption; SWHHS Drought Poem – 96 year old Waroona Multipurpose Centre resident Dot
Edwards with her timeless drought poem.
For further information contact:
Sally Rigney
Acting Public Affairs Officer,
South West Hospital and Health Service
Phone: 0417 758 353
[email protected]