Above: Illustrated front cover from The Queenslander, November 8, 1934
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Severe flooding at Yeronga during the 1974 Brisbane flood
University of Queensland, St. Lucia, 1974 flood
Flooded backyard at Oxley, Brisbane, 1974
Feature: The Big Wet - Queensland floods
It is now over 30 years since Queensland was inundated by the aftermath of Cyclone Wanda. The cyclone itself crossed the coast near Double Island Point, however, as it weakened, a monsoonal trough caused torrential rain in the south eastern corner of the state. The total rainfall between the 24th and 29th January was around 900mm and the river reached a height of 6.7 metres, more than four metres above normal. These floods were the worst to hit Brisbane since February 1893 when the river peaked at 9.3 metres.
As far back as 1841, there are records of flooding in the Brisbane and Bremer rivers. When John Oxley travelled up the Brisbane River in 1823, he noted rotting vegetation in the trees which suggested that there had been a recent inundation.
In February 1931, Brisbane experienced another severe flood with the Breakfast Creek area suffering the worst of the downpour. Over 1000 houses were damaged.
Floods across the state
Queensland’s weather patterns have always reflected floods and droughts, the former often resulting from the deluges associated with the cyclone season. Such was the case with the torrential rain which followed a small cyclone passing over the coast between Mackay and Townsville in 1916. Heavy rain began in Clermont on the evening of the 27th December and combined with the runoff from the local catchment areas, causing the floodwaters to rise at an alarming rate, trapping many people on the roofs of their houses. The lower part of the town which had been built on a flood plain was later moved to higher ground.
Another cyclone caused unprecedented flooding in Mackay in 1918. A three metre storm surge was recorded on the Pioneer River and the Burdekin and Fitzroy Rivers also experienced major flooding. Previously, in January 1917, part of the Burdekin Bridge had been washed away.
A monsoonal trough hit Brisbane in 1974 which brought heavy rainfall and caused the Brisbane River to break its banks. The flood occured on Sunday, 27 January 1974 and caused massive damage in Ipswich and Brisbane.
Persistent heavy rain during the summer of 2010-2011 caused major flooding throughout Queensland. With thousands of people forced from their properties, and the majority of the State flood affected, Queensland was declared a disaster zone. The Condamine, Ballone and Mary Rivers flooded and a flash flood caused loss of life and destruction in Toowoomba and the communities in the Lockyer Valley below. As the flood waters made their way into the Brisbane and Bremer Rivers, thousands of houses in Ipswich and Brisbane were inundated with murky water and mud.
The images featured here serve as a reminder of the 1974 floods in Brisbane and also as a record of the many other inundations experienced throughout the state over the years.
Browse a selection of flood images below
- Brisbane flood images
- Queensland flood images
- Cyclone images
- PictureAustralia [new window] contains images of the 1974 and 2011 Queensland floods from the libraries of Brisbane City Council, Gold Coast City Council and the State Library of Queensland.
Newspaper articles
Articles from the online database, the Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre. (Access to these online resources is available in the State Library, Queensland public libraries and for State Library and public library members. More...)
- Disaster . . . once every 100 years - And watch out for more on the way [new window]
- QLD: Floods, Yasi stamp their mark on 2011 [new window]
- QLD: New Brisbane maps to show flood risk [new window]
- The heartache that has gutted the country arrives in the capital - Floodwaters show no mercy [new window]
- Humour in the grit as generals wield mops not muskets [new window]
More information
If you have an enquiry, you can contact us in any of the following ways:
For general enquiries:
- Ask at your local Queensland public library
- Other libraries [new window]
Last updated: 16th March 2012
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