![Marree to dance for rain Marree to dance for rain](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/pmH8iEcJFcisX9MzTZXqgd/eed8c344-4b55-41c3-a7bc-1c27ef5b1c0c.jpg/r0_133_3401_2046_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
PASTORALISTS in northern SA are living through one of the driest seasons in recent memory so to help lift the community's spirit, the inaugural Marree Rain Dance will be held next month pm November 2.
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The Marree Sports Club, predominantly run by a group of local graziers under 40 - will host the dance event which was made possible by the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal's Tackling Tough Times Together program.
The sold out event will also have well-known agriculture identity Catherine Marriott speaking to the dance-goers while they enjoy a three course meal.
Perseverance is essential when you make a living grazing livestock in the Marree region, where just 9.4 millimetres of rain has been recorded for the township this year.
Which is why in the midst of destocking and keeping retained stock fed and watered, the newest generation of local farmers are doing what they can to keep spirits up.
Marree Sports Club President Lucy Morphett said their community, like so many others, was suffering one of the worst droughts in living memory.
"We are experiencing first hand how important community connectedness is for our mental health," she said.
"Summer is no doubt the most crippling time for us, so we thought holding the Rain Dance in November would be a great way to connect and catch up before the heat really sets in.
"There's nothing like getting dressed up and having a beer with mates who are in the same boat to make you feel like you're not alone."
Stock numbers have declined rapidly in the area throughout the past two years, with the rain that has fallen coming in tiny amounts each time, doing little to provide water to the native pastures they rely on.
Marree was declared 'drought affected' in mid-2018 but the drought was evident well before the announcement.
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Rainfall data from Marree Township was 57.6mm for 2018 compared to an annual average of 143mm. Cowarie Station 250 kilometres north of Marree recorded 15mm of a 156mm average.
Wilpoorina Station, south of Marree, recorded 53mm in 2018, and have had just 8mm so far this year.
At Muloorina Station, 48kms north of Marree, they have received just 40mm of rain in the past two years - the driest two consecutive years on record.
Just 4mm of that has fallen in 2019, making it their driest year ever.
The Federation Drought of 1900 to 1902 was the second driest period recorded at Muloorina - when almost four times as much rain fell.
Muloorina's Lisa Edwards is also the Marree Sports Club Secretary and said while they have reduced their cattle numbers by 82 per cent, they were pushing hard to remain resilient.
"We have sourced outside work and continue to work towards our succession plan," she said.
"We are optimistic about the future of Ag in our area and hope one day the governments will open their eyes to how resilient and positive we are for the country we care for."
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