The Hottest Place. 27 Jan 1928. ‘When the mercury at Bourke, during a heat-wave, ran up to 118 or 120.’ =48.8 Celsius
The Hottest Place (1928, January 27). Manilla Express (NSW : 1899 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved January 6, 2021, from https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/193870540?searchTerm=hottest%20of%20hot%20waves&searchLimits=#
An old westerner was discussing the hottest places he had struck. Bourke and Byrock, he admitted, often broke the record for “nifter” temperatures.
He had seen crows and eaglehawks fall lifeless from the trees when the thermometer reached 118 in those places.
He had seen icecream “run” liquid when extracted from the drum.
He had heard old hands say that Bourke might not be much of a place to live in, but it could give ’em all a start when it came to a matter of gloating over records.
But for continuity, he added, Coonamble takes the bun. When the mercury at Bourke, during a
heat-wave, ran up to 118 or 120. Coonamble was hot quite so fast.
It was content to ascend to about the 110 level— and remain there for a week or 10 days. Bourke, with its record one-day stunt, dropped down from 120 to 106, and 108. “That’s heat with a double vengeance,” he said.
“Bourke leads the way for a day, or two. But if you ask me where one would find a good old con-
sistent plugger, without pretensions to spasmodic splashes. I recommend Goonamble.
When, it comes to a matter of continuity, Coonamble can wink an eye at Bourke, and look none the worse for it, either.”