Transport networks can play an important role in responses to extreme climate events, especially when governments own the network and intervene directly. Railways occupied a central place in Australian rural development by the late nineteenth century, a topic that has been discussed widely by scholars of economic history. Much less is known about their contribution during the severe drought crises faced by rural communities. We investigate the role railways played during the Federation Drought of 1895–1903 in sustaining Australia’s largest export industry, pastoralism. Government ownership of the railways enabled subsidies to be offered for the movement of livestock from drought areas and fodder to those areas. These policies assisted the rapid recovery of pastoral output and contributed to longer-term industry improvements. The intervention, however, came at significant financial cost to the railways, which was borne for the public good as part of an economic developmental purpose. The costs and benefits of drought relief policies continue to be debated today; our study demonstrates the major role transport networks can play in response to extreme climate events, both for immediate relief and in shaping subsequent behaviours.

中文翻译：

---

应对极端气候：澳大利亚联邦干旱期间的铁路和畜牧业

交通网络可以在应对极端气候事件中发挥重要作用，尤其是当政府拥有网络并直接干预时。到 19 世纪末，铁路在澳大利亚农村发展中占据中心地位，这一话题已被经济史学者广泛讨论。人们对他们在农村社区面临的严重干旱危机中的贡献知之甚少。我们调查了铁路在 1895-1903 年联邦干旱期间在维持澳大利亚最大的出口产业——畜牧业方面所发挥的作用。政府拥有铁路，从而能够为将牲畜和饲料从干旱地区运送到这些地区提供补贴。这些政策有助于牧区产量的快速恢复，并有助于行业的长期改善。干预，然而，作为经济发展目的的一部分，铁路为公共利益承担了巨大的财务成本。抗旱政策的成本和收益今天仍在争论中；我们的研究表明，交通网络在应对极端气候事件方面可以发挥重要作用，既可以立即缓解，也可以塑造随后的行为。