In January 1901, Australia suffered irregular dry spells. By Spring, Eastern Australia suffered very dry conditions. Rivers in Western Queensland dried up and in Bourke NSW the Murray river almost ran out of water. Towns that depended on the river for water ( Mildura, Deniliquin) suffered quite badly.
Photograph taken by Wilf Henty in Mildura
The millennium drought
This drought was also called the 'big dry'. This drought was actually two different droughts. The first 2002-2003 and 2006-2007. There was no particular wet period between the two droughts. This drought significantly reduced farm productions. Irrigated industries which depend on water, were affected particularly, because the major reservoirs in the Murray darling basin dropped to 17% of its capacity in 2003 and stayed that way until around 2010.