The estimated damage stood at a crippling AU$178 million. In January 1974 a flood occurred in after three weeks of continual rain. The Brisbane River, which runs through the heart of the city, broke its banks and flooded the surrounding areas. As the flood waters receded, they left behind layers of disease-carrying sludge, and the rancid smell of mud and effluent permeated the air. The flood information provided in the Flood Awareness Map is sourced from flood studies and models endorsed by Council. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. From the first time I saw this map I was drawn to the striking dragon-like shape that spills out from the river banks, illustrating the extent and depths of this natural disaster. Read more about the Portal in, Themes reflect the research of the Rachel Carson Center, its fellows, and partners, Three discovery tools deliver spatially, temporally, or thematically related results, Get involved or contact us with questions, comments and feedback, RCC The floods peaked at 6.6m and affected over 8,500 homes. “Drought, Mud, Filth, and Flood: Water Crises in Australian Cities, 1880s–2010s.” Virtual exhibition 2019. Houses submerged to roof height in the suburbs. Please click on an image to view its individual rights status, University of Queensland & La Trobe University, Australia. The center is supported by a grant from the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. Exhibitions, Exploration The Brisbane floods, January 1974: their impact on health. Did Clem Jones save Brisbane from flood? Alice Street, Brisbane, during 1974 flood. The 1974 flood remains Brisbane’s fifth-highest recorded flood. The Brisbane River broke its banks and flooded the surrounding areas. Floodwaters rush over the edge of Enoggera Dam, west of Brisbane. Aerial view of Alice and Margaret Streets in central Brisbane. A slow-moving depression dumped huge amounts of rain, flooding local creeks and the Bremer River tributary upstream in Ipswich. Brisbane's defence The Wivenhoe Dam was built in the aftermath of 1974 as Brisbane's defence against another major flood. Below is a link to a flood map that illustrates the areas of inundation. On the last weekend of January in 1974, as Australians … Note: Each CSV in this series includes basic metadata about each map in the series and a URL to access a high resolution scan of each map. On 29 January, the river peaked at 5.45 meters in Brisbane city, the largest floods since 1893 (8.35 m and 8.09 m). MT. Related ISSN 2199-3408 Brisbane experienced three separate intense rain events, with a record 600 mm of rain falling over three days. Explorer, Timeline Note: Each CSV in this series includes basic metadata about each map in the series and a URL to access a high resolution scan of each map. Debris, chemical contaminants, dead fowl, horses, and cattle floated in the floodwaters, increasing the risks of gastroenteritis and tetanus. The '74 flood would profoundly change Brisbane and leave scars on the thousands affected. The disaster caused 16 deaths, left 8000 people homeless and was thought to be a one in 100 year event – until January 2011. as indicated on the Bureau of Industry '933 Flood Map. CASE!STUDY:!The!Brisbane!1974!Floods!Tropical!!Wanda!! But Queensland’s Conservative government refused, committing instead to the construction of a second flood-mitigation and water-supply dam, Wivenhoe. In total, there were 16 fatalities, 300 people injured, 8000 homes damaged. During a 36-hour period 642 mm of rain fell on the city. Much of the populace believed major floods to be a thing of the past. Program put together in January 1984 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Brisbane floods of 1974. It would usher in the building of the Wivenhoe Dam which the politicians proclaimed would be Brisbane's great protector and flood-proof the city. Festival Hall and Albert Street during the Brisbane River flood in 1974. Raw sewage from the submerged Ipswich sewerage plant and domestic outhouses poured into the river. FLOOD MAP BRISBANE & SUBURBS Delineating the extent of thc January, 1974. Modelling predicts that is this event were to repeat itself, it would result in $3.2 billion in insured loss. Only one bridge over the river remained open, streets became canals, and Brisbane became largely isolated. 2017 Margaret CookThis refers only to the text and does not include any image rights. On the last weekend of January in 1974, as Australians … Cyclone Wanda pushed the systems to the limit, providing the additional rainfall to the Brisbane River, Bremer River and Stanley River catchments to produce widespread and severe flooding. (Royal Historical Society of Queensland) In and around Brisbane (population approximately 911,000), the worst flooding this century occurred during the Australia Day holiday weekend (25-29 January 1974). These figures are substantial in a city of 712,500 people with 217,847 dwellings. In total, there were 16 fatalities, 300 people injured, 8000 homes damaged. As floodwaters surged towards the city, substantial damage was inevitable. At the height of the 1974 floods the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Alderman Clem Jones, ordered the gates of Somerset Dam be shut to prevent the release of floodwaters defying the recommendations of the . Brisbane 1974 floods: Debbie Wemyss recalls raft rescue in Windsor WHEN Brisbane's worst flood hit 40 years ago, Debbie Wemyss and her two siblings were trapped in a neighbour's home by rising waters. It had been an exceptionally wet spring, and by the end of October most of southern Queensland's river systems were nearing capacity. As Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city, prepared for its annual Australia Day public holiday on 26 January, a large monsoonal trough, associated with Cyclone Wanda, hovered above the 13,500 km² Brisbane River catchment. Tool. Fourteen people died, at least 6,700 homes were inundated and there was $980 million ($8.1 billion in 2014 terms) of damage after the swollen Brisbane river surged through the city on Sunday January 27. Flooded suburbs were left without gas, and electricity supplies were thwarted with suburban substations and the main power station inundated. Environment & Society Portal, Arcadia. 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