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1949 Macleay River FloodPrint Page 
A plaque commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 1949 Macleay River flood and remembers the six people who lost their lives.
In August 1949, the Macleay River in north eastern New South Wales caused major flooding in Kempsey and the lower Macleay floodplain. The flood destroyed numerous homes and the rescue efforts were severely hampered after the phone lines went down and the local radio station went off air. About 2000 people were made homeless in Kempsey and many shops were severely damaged and stock ruined.
Six people died in the flood, five of them in Kempsey. A 13-year-old boy on a horse at Smithtown drowned after he went to get some cattle in for his father.
Location
| Address: | Clyde Street, Mall, Kempsey, 2440 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -31.079725 Long: 152.840773 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Disaster |
| Sub-Theme: | Flood |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Friday 28th August, 2009 |
|---|
IN MEMORY OF LIVES LOST
This plaque commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the 1949 Macleay River flood and remembers with respect and dignity the six people whose lives were lost during that tragic event.
These were :
• Patrick Connelly (71) and Margaret Connelly (72)
brother and sister of Eden Street, Kempsey
• Leslie John Baker (9) and Julie Baker (2)
brother and sister of Belgrave Street, Kempsey
• William Hugginson (78) of Verge Street, Kempsey
• James Plummer (13) of Clybucca
28th August 2009
