ABSTRACT
The national (federal) government’s direct involve ment in providing drought assistance dates from 1934, when it helped drought-affected wheat growers. In the period to the 1960s, federal involvement was generally confined to the provision of funding to support state-based assistance schemes to stabilise the financial position of farm businesses affected by drought, through the provision of interest rate subsidies on debt, debt reconstruction, and transport, fodder, and water subsidies. Requests for involvement were still largely ad hoc.
