Wantabadgery was not exempt from natural disasters and in 1875 drought caused heavy losses in Walter Windeyer’s Shorthorn cattle herd on the Wantabadgery Run. Hundreds died and were skinned and salted for sale to tanneries, the skins making about one dollar each.
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Wild horses in their hundreds became a problem from Wantabadgery to Gundagai and past Junee to Junee Reefs. Some were broken in or sold, hundreds more were shot and skinned. Floods left their mark with major events in 1870, 1872 and 1891.
A series of bushfires which started on Oura and Wantabadgery Stations on December 28, 1901 devastated those places, almost reaching Junee and burned through Eurongilly and close to Nangus and Mitta Mitta. Huge losses of livestock, infrastructure and houses occurred. Other fires on Christmas Day 1904 destroyed property on both sides of the Murrumbidgee River, reaching Tumblong and Gundagai.
The Wantabadgery Run holders had lost substantial sections of their run to selectors who were keen to acquire land. Names that appeared in acquisitions included Quilter, McKinnon, McGlede, Beveridge, Heffernan and McCarthy while the Macdonalds also purchased large portions of the run or bought out small selectors to consolidate their holding by purchasing title after survey.
As the district’s population increased, so did the need for schooling. A half-time school is known to have operated in 1879 and schooling was intermittent at times including in 1904 as a half-time school, sharing with nearby Clarendon (Eurongilly). A variety of buildings were used including sharing with a church and at times, animals became a problem. In 1912, teacher Miss McDonald wrote to the school inspector “ if rabbits are not exterminated from around the outhouses (toilets), in due time such buildings must collapse”. There are no reports of a collapse. The eventual permanent school building closed in 1971.
In 1912, the Macdonald brothers, who now had families, decided to divide Wantabadgery Station. They had previously purchased silent partner Fred Dangar’s one third share and the property was split into east and west. Falconar Macdonald chose east which has river access, Claude preferring Wantabadgery west.
Wantabadgery village was here to stay. More people lived in or close to the village. When the Macdonalds arrived, there was no church but it is believed that the first building was erected in 1881 with the assistance of that family as Falconar had commented on the lack of a church.
