25th Anniversary of 1974 FloodPrint Page 
The flood marker commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the flood which devastated Brisbane in January 1974.
The 1974 Brisbane flood occurred in January 1974 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It took place when the waterways in the city experienced significant flooding. The Brisbane River, which runs through the heart of the city, broke its banks and flooded the surrounding areas.
In total, there were 14 fatalities, 300 people injured, 56 homes destroyed and an estimated A$68 million in damages.
Location
| Address: | Sylvan Road, Toowong Memorial Park, Toowong, 4066 |
|---|---|
| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -27.480529 Long: 152.992226 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Monument |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Disaster |
| Sub-Theme: | Flood |
| Actual Event Start Date: | 25-January-1974 |
| Actual Event End Date: | 29-January-1974 |
Dedication
Marker - 1974 Flood Level
In January 1974 Brisbane was subjected to the worst flooding of the River since 1893. Heavy rain began to fall on Friday 25 January and by Saturday night 375mm had fallen in Brisbane. There were higher falls on the inland parts of the catchment.
Vast areas of Brisbane were flooded and 14 lives were lost, 6700 homes ruined and 5000 people left homeless. The cost was almost $200 million. Those who were unharmed rallied to help those less fortunate. Few who lived through the flood will forget them.
This marker was erected to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 1974 flood. The marker shows the maximum level reached by the floodwaters in Toowong Memorial Park on Tuesday 29th January 1974.
Since the 1974 floods, Wivenhoe Dam has been built of the Brisbane River near Fernivale. The dam was designed with excess capacity to store floodwaters, and if it had been in place in 1974 the flood level here would have been 2.1m lower.
Each year the Council allocates substantial funds to regional and local drainage projects across the City to reduce the impact of flooding on residents
