Imagine water marks reaching for the sky. This 1974 Flood Level Marker stands as a stark reminder. It shows the height of the floodwaters that surged through Brisbane.
This marker commemorates the 25th anniversary of the devastating 1974 floods. Brisbane experienced its worst flooding since 1893 that year. Heavy rain began on Friday, January 25th. By Saturday night, 375mm had fallen in Brisbane. Inland areas of the catchment received even higher rainfall.
Vast areas of Brisbane were flooded. The 1974 Flood Level Marker shows just how high the waters rose here. 14 lives were lost and 6700 homes were ruined. About 5000 people were left homeless. The cost of the damage was almost $200 million.
Between 1870 and 1974, eight major floods swept through the gardens. The worst floods occurred in 1890, 1893, 1897 and 1974. During the 1974 flood, water rose up to 4.6 metres in the garden’s centre. Whole plant collections were destroyed. The gardens were closed for 10 weeks.
The 1974 Brisbane flood was caused by Cyclone Wanda. It was a relatively weak tropical cyclone. However, it brought torrential rains to the city. In a 36-hour period, 642 mm of rain fell. The floods peaked on January 29th.
The 1974 Flood Level Marker in the City Botanic Gardens stands on the main walkway. It is on the way from the Albert Street entrance to the City Garden’s Cafe. The marker was erected in 1999 to commemorate the flood’s 25th anniversary. It marks the level reached by the flood in the gardens.
One notable incident involved the Robert Miller. This 67320-tonne tanker broke its moorings at Kangaroo Point. It swung out into the river. It was held only by two emergency anchors. The shipyard manager and others climbed aboard. They found one anchor was lost. The remaining anchor was barely holding. They secured the anchor. They managed to start the ship’s engine. They prevented it from causing further damage. Because the ship was 237 metres long and the river was about 255 metres wide, it was feared that the ship could form a dam across the river. This would have caused the river to rise by a further 3 metres, leading to even greater flooding in the suburbs.
After the 1974 flood, the Wivenhoe Dam was built on the Brisbane River. It was designed with excess capacity to store floodwaters. Had it been in place in 1974, the flood level here would have been 1.5 meters lower.
The 1974 Flood Level Marker reminds us of Brisbane’s vulnerability to flooding. It also honors the community’s resilience in the face of disaster. Take a moment to reflect on the power of nature and the importance of preparedness.