Search for an image
Roof tops, Yeronga, 1974 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.
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 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...)
- Hard labour gives birth to family tale
- Qld: Fearful times in the river city
- Brisbane floods 30th anniversary
- Flood ship mystery never explained
- Brisbane streets affected by 1974 floods
- Disaster . . . once every 100 years - And watch out for more on the way
- What happened next?
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: 23rd February 2009
Creatively linking Queenslanders to information, knowledge and each other
