QUEENSLAND FLOOD SUMMARY 1950 - 1959

Stream rises were reported in all south-western streams and flooding was extensive in the Barcoo River basin where the general heavy rains also made roads impassable and many centres were still isolated at the end of the month. The Thomson River at Blackall peaked on the 18th and the Barcoo River at Isisford peaked on 19th with bad wash-outs and water in the main street. The Barcoo at Currareva (Windorah) peaked on 24th and the Warrego River peaked at Cunnamulla on 26th. 

Heavy rain at the end of the month brought renewal of flooding to the northern tributaries of the Fitzroy River. Funnel Creek at Saltbush peaked on 31st. Stream rises in the Burdekin River system and much low level flooding occurred on the tropical coast , particularly the central section. 

Sharp flooding over all headwaters of the Condamine River reached record or near record levels in the northern tributaries. Dogwood Creek at Miles and Bungil Creek at Roma both peaked on 18th. Flooding was general over the whole of the Fitzroy River basin. The Isaacs River at Clive peaked on 17th and the Mackenzie River at St Aubins peaked on 20th .

The Burdekin River was only just under the Inkerman Bridge level for most of the month and covered the rails from 20th to 22nd with a peak height on 21st. The Flinders River peaked at Hulberts Bridge on 17th and for many days in the month persistent heavy rains , particularly in the Gulf Country., made roads untrafficable.

Flooding in all south coastal streams was further aggravated by the heavy drenching rains of the last two days of the month. Road , rail and air traffic was disrupted. Low level flooding , extensive washaways and landslides occurred as a result of high flood levels in the Burnett , Mary and Brisbane rivers. The Burnett River at Walla and the Mary River at Gympie both peaked on 1st March. The Brisbane River peaked at Murrumba on 28th and at Lowood on 1st March. 

In the south west quarter of the State all streams were still running at high levels at the end of the month. In many parts of the western half of the State it was reported that surface traffic will be suspended for several weeks. The Barcoo River was 50 to 80 kilometres wide , homes were isolated and food drops from aircraft had been necessary.

Below are some extracts from river reports.

Burdekin River at Inkerman Bridge on 9th - peaked just below 1946 level. Rails were submerged for 14 days from 6th to 19th.

Diamantina River at Birdsville on 23rd - peaked near record.

Cooper Creek at Currareva (Windorah) on 20th - record peak , above 1944 height.

Thomson River at Jundah on 18th - peak.

Georgina River at Urandangie on 16th - record flood. Town almost completely inundated.

Western River at Winton on 10th - record flood. Large area of town under water.

Flinders River at Milgarra on 25th - peak.

Local low level flooding again occurred on the north coast in the last few days of the month , and on 27th on the coast south from Gympie. 

Many main traffic bridges were under water for several days and the discharge from the Belyando River and adjacent smaller streams kept the Burdekin River just under bridge level for most of the month. Fairly extensive traffic disabilities were also experienced on the north tropical coast during the first half of the month due to the heavy rains that fell during this period.

Below are some extracts from river reports. 

Belyando River at Mt Douglas on 12th - peak ( over bridge ) 

Cooper Creek at Currareva on 11th - peak. 

Thomson River at Longreach on 4th - peak ( over bridge )

Bulloo River at Quilpie on 6th - peak ( over rail bridge )

Mackenzie River at St Aubins on 11th - peak.

Comet Bridge untrafficable until 14th.

Dawson River at Taroom on 14th - peak ( over bridge from 8th to 17th )

Flinders River at Milgarra on 17th - peak.

Over the South Coast Moreton there were many 75 to 125mm amounts with several over 150mm and a few over 200mm in the Gold Coast hinterland area , ( Springbrook 365mm ). Many 75mm totals were reported on the south-eastern Downs , ( Killarney 110mm ). In view of the very rapid rises in the headwaters of the Condamine and Macintyre rivers there apparently must have been heavier falls on the upper catchments of these streams. 

Rapid rises also occurred in the Mary , Pine , Brisbane and Logan rivers and in all these areas low level flooding , traffic and communication dislocation , damage to crops and property losses were extensive. Some hail damage was also reported and flooding on the southern Downs is reported to have caused considerable damage in the wheat fields. Estimated damage in south-eastern Queensland was reported at half a million pounds and two lives were lost.

Flooding in the upper reaches of the Condamine River was the highest on record, the stream reaching a width of 5 to 8 kilometres. Warwick recorded a record peak on 23rd. Tummaville recorded a record peak on 24th. As flood waters moved downstream Condamine recorded the second highest height on record on 2nd July. The Macintyre River at Goondiwindi peaked on 27th. The Brisbane River at Murrumba peaked on 23rd. 

At the end of the month waters were still flowing down the Diamantina River and Cooper Creek into Lake Eyre. Rain during the month delayed the harvest at Peak Downs where 625,000 bushels of sorghum and 25,000 bushels of sunflower have been garnered. It is anticipated that the harvest will be completed by August with an estimated yield of over a million bushels.

Flooding was most severe in the Maranoa , Macintyre , Condamine and Balonne rivers with record or near record levels. The Maranoa River at Mitchell peaked on 27th , ( highest on record ). The Macintyre River at Goondiwindi peaked on 30th , the highest since March 1890. The Balonne River at St George peaked on 31st , ( highest on record ). 

Other main streams which reached moderate to high flood levels were the Warrego , Thomson , Barcoo , Belyando , Dawson , Mackenzie , Nogoa and Mary rivers.

Below are some extracts from river reports.

Dawson River at Taroom on 12th - peak and well over bridge.

Macintyre River at Goondiwindi on 12th - peak.

Condamine River at Ranges Bridge on 14th - peak and over bridge.

( Ranges Bridge under water from 13th to 17th )

Below are some extracts from river reports. 

Nogoa River at Emerald on 27th - record height.

Mackenzie River at St. Aubins on 29th - 3rd highest on record.

Dawson River at Theodore on 29th - peak.

Belyando River at Mt Douglas on 30th - above bridge height and rising. Warrego River at Augathella on 25th - record height.

The following peak heights recorded . On 1st , at Surat on the Balonne River and at Longreach on the Thomson River. On 2nd , at Cunnamulla on the Warrego River. On 6th , at Boolburra on the Dawson River , at Riverslea on the FitzroyRiver and at Mt. Douglas on the Belyando River. These near record to record floods caused extensive stock losses particularly in the central interior parts of the State. In the Alpha district alone losses of over 10,000 pounds were reported.

Heavy rains on the tropical coast in the first week of the month caused further traffic disabilities and considerable damage to sugar cane crops was reported. Flood rains from 19th to 21st , giving several totals of 150 to 225mm in the north-western parts of the State , caused strong stream rises in the Flinders River and other Gulf streams and further rises in the Thomson and Barcoo rivers and the Cooper Creek system. By the end of the month the Flinders River downstream at Milgarra was still rising and in western Queensland floodwaters were still hampering surface traffic.

The Thomson River at Longreach reached a record height on 16th , higher than the 1922 flood , and Landsborough Creek at Muttaburra was well over the traffic bridge on 27th. Low level flooding was very severe on the central tropical coast and the Pioneer River peaked at Mirani on 11th. In the Fitzroy River system torrential rains of over 1000mm on the headwaters of the Isaacs River were mainly responsible for the extensive flooding in Rockhampton. At Riverslea on the Fitzroy River a record height was recorded on 18th, the previous record being in April 1928.

In the second heavy rain period in the final week of the month , heavy flooding resulted in the Gulf streams and further rises were reported in the central interior, Burdekin and Fitzroy systems. Sharp rises were reported in the Condamine and Macintyre systems where upstream stations reached peak heights on the last day of the month. Further downstream the Condamine River was still rising on 31st with water above bridge level at Ranges Bridge.

Flooding was most severe over the South Coast Moreton where 500 to 750mm seven day rainfall totals caused strong rises in the Mary and Brisbane river systems and in other smaller coastal streams. All transport services were disrupted and low level flooding caused considerable property damage and covered all roads from Brisbane to a depth of a metre or more. Many houses were evacuated particularly in the Maroochy River districts where flooding was very severe. One life was lost at Currumundi Lake near Caloundra.

Traffic was suspended for several days at Ranges Bridge and Condamine Bridge on the Condamine River, and at Nappamerri in the lower reaches of Cooper Creek levels were still rising on 27th.

The Inkerman Bridge over the Burdekin River was covered by flood waters on 2nd and 3rd and flood rains of 100 to 150mm on 8th and 9th over the northern catchments of the Burdekin again lifted flood waters over the bridge on 10th and 11th. These heavy flood rains of 8th and 9th on the north coast and adjacent highlands also caused temporary road and rail traffic dislocation between Tully and Cairns, and freshes in the eastern Gulf streams.

Rain totals of 50 to 125mm over the Darling Downs caused moderate rises in the Condamine and Balonne river systems. The Condamine River at Condamine peaked on 20th.

The 250 to 500mm rains in the third week on the tropical coast caused sharp flooding in coastal streams on the north coast and adjacent central coast and freshes in the Burdekin River. Rail traffic was temporarily suspended between Ayr and Townsville by Haughton River floodwaters, and at Halifax the Herbert River reached a height of 2 metres over the railway bridge on 22nd. 

Rains in the third week in the Carpentaria caused freshes in the Flinders River at Milgarra where a peak occurred on 29th.

In the same rain period, falls of 25 to 75mm in the Maranoa and central highlands caused moderate rises in the Dawson and Nogoa rivers and Bungil Creek ,[ tributary of the Condamine River ]. The Dawson River at Taroom peaked on 22nd. The 125 to 175mm falls on the headwaters of the Maranoa River caused moderate freshes in the Balonne River at St.George on 24th. 

On the southern parts of the South Coast Moreton district the heavy 150 to 200mm rains of 22nd and 24th caused extensive low level flooding , temporary traffic dislocation and sharp rises in the Pine , Logan and Nerang rivers.

The 35 to 60mm rains on the southern border on 25th followed by 50 to 75mm rains over 26th and 27th on the eastern Downs caused very sharp rises in the headwaters of the Condamine and Macintyre systems. Two lives were lost at a low level traffic bridge near Pittsworth. At Texas ,. the Severn River reached a peak on 25th. At Ranges Bridge , the Condamine River reached a peak on 1st November.

On 29th heavy rain washed out sections of railway line between Charters Towers and Hughenden.

Similar conditions resulted in low lying parts of the South Coast Moreton and on the southern Downs. The Macintyre River at Goondiwindi reached a near record height on 23rd. Fairly heavy stock losses were reported in the Macintyre basin where aircraft food drops were made for sheep and where rail traffic was still held up at the close of the month. One life was lost in Brisbane.

The Georgina River and other adjacent north-western interior streams reached record flood levels , the township of Urandangie being evacuated for several days. In the western and north-western interior suspension of surface traffic was continuing at many places at the close of the month. On the tropical coast the Inkerman Bridge over the Burdekin River was submerged from 13th to 19th and from 25th to 26th.

However major flooding occurred during the rain period which commenced with 125 to 250mm rains on 22nd. Severe flooding in the Isaacs River catchment made roads impassable and eighteen people were reported temporarily marooned near Sarina when the Prospect Creek bridge was well under water. Moderate flooding occurred also in the Dawson , Mackenzie and Pioneer rivers. The Dawson was well over the bridge at Taroom and the Mackenzie well over the bridge at Comet. 

Most rivers in the south-western parts of the State were still carrying fairly heavy run-off at the close of the month as a result of these rains in the latter part of the month.

The flood rains of 8th to 13th caused very high floods in the Fitzroy River system. The second highest heights on record occurred at Boolburra on 15th, Riversleigh on 15th and Rockhampton on 19th. Following the heavy cyclonic rains in the south eastern quarter of the State from 19th to 22nd , the Dawson River at Theodore rose to a record height on 19th.

The Condamine and Warrego river systems rose to near record levels. The Balonne River at St George reached the second highest on record on 20th. The upper reaches of the Condamine River rose very sharply following the torrential over 1000mm rains of 19th and 20th on the south-east border highlands. These rains also caused very sharp flooding in the Logan , Coomera and Nerang river systems.

At Milgarra the Flinders rose to major levels and the Burdekin was well over the Inkerman Bridge on 10th. The bridge was under water for 14 of the first 16 days of the month. It was reported on the 8th that high levels of water in the Cape River had destroyed five spans of the Cape River rail bridge. Mackay aerodrome was also reported flooded. Moderate run-off occurred in the Lower Thomson River and Cooper Creek at the end of the month. Currareva on Cooper Creek peaked on 28th. 

The flood on the Condamine River peaked at Pratten on 19th [ second highest on record] , and at Ranges Bridges occurred on 23rd, where traffic was dislocated for 36 hours. Eight aerodromes were closed due to flooding and all black soil roads on the Downs were impassable. Rail traffic to Milmerran , Cecil Plains and Goondiwindi was dislocated. 

The crest of the flood had moved slowly downstream and passed Surat, where the peak height was reported at the end of the month . Thunderstorm rains of 25 to 50mm on 28th produced freshes and renewed flooding in the Macintyre River, the peak reaching Goondiwindi on 30th.

Local flooding due to thunderstorms occurred at isolated places throughout Queensland during the month. The following are examples :- Some 30mm at Dayboro on 5th caused a temporary rise in the Pine River . Approximately 100mm in an hour near Surat caused freshes and another peak in the Condamine River on 9th. A severe storm brought 40mm in 15 minutes to Ingham on 10th , flooding shops and business premises. Up to 50mm of rain fell in 90 minutes at Caloundra , flooding a number of houses on 10th.

Rises were reported in the Balonne , Warrego , Paroo , Bulloo , Barcoo and Thomson rivers during the last week of the month from 25th. The Paroo River peaked at Eulo on 28th and the Bulloo River at Thargomindah was over the bridge by 29th and finally peaked 1st February. The Barcoo River at Isisford was above bridge height from 29th to 31st. Many roads in this area were untrafficable during that period. These were the only serious incidents , no damage being reported.

However the major flooding occurred during the period from 20th to 28th. This was a result of widespread heavy rains from 20th to 24th when totals of 125 to 300mm were recorded over the South Coast Curtis , the Lower Carpentaria and all central divisions. Local flooding in the Curtis division caused washaways on the main north railway line on 20th ( track wrecked as a result ) and cut the Bruce Highway in many places.

Similar flood rains on the Central Coast on 21st dislocated traffic and isolated towns. Moderate to heavy flooding was reported in all Fitzroy River tributaries , Riverslea peaking on 28th. Moderate flooding in the Burdekin River covered the Inkerman Bridge again on 23rd , the bridge remaining under water up to the end of the month , thus dislocating rail traffic to the north.

The February rains in the Lower Carpentaria have caused increasing stream heights in the eastern Gulf rivers , particularly the Flinders River , where a heavy flood run-off has yet to reach its peak in the lower reaches. The height was still rising at Milgarra on 28th. 

The heavy rains in the central interior , particularly the 50 to 125mm on 22nd , resulted in moderate flooding in the Thomson and Barcoo rivers. Roads in most parts of central Queensland were impassable , towns were isolated and air traffic dislocated due to water logged airfields.

The rain influence moved southwards to produce 75 to 175mm totals in the southern interior during 23rd and 24th , causing flooding in the Bulloo , Paroo and Warrego rivers. Houses were evacuated and towns isolated in flood waters that are now surging towards the New South Wales border. 

Rainfalls of 50 to 125mm on the western Downs during 25th and 26th brought sharp stream rises and moderate flooding to the Maranoa and Macintyre rivers with a peak height at Goondiwindi on 27th. At the close of the month many streams were still carrying fairly heavy run-off. Peak heights have still to be reached in the lower reaches of the Fitzroy and Flinders rivers as well as in border districts of most southern interior streams.

The first cyclone of the month gave heavy rains over the central interior on 8th and 9th , the Burdekin catchment on 11th and some totals up to 300mm on the far north coast on 15th. These resulted in heavy flooding in the Fitzroy catchment with near record levels at Clive on 11th and Riverslea on 15th. The rains over the central interior brought moderate flooding in all south west rivers and serious flooding in the Thomson and upper Flinders rivers where near record levels were reached. Flooded streams were reported even in the far west of the State particularly in the Diamantina catchment.

Heavy flooding in the Burdekin River submerged the Inkerman Bridge from 23rd February to 29th March. Clare reported a peak ( second highest on record ) on 19th. Sharp flooding of all coastal streams on the central and north coast occurred during 17th to 19th when additional rainfalls of 200 to 500mm were reported. Further north the streams flowing into Princess Charlotte Bay experienced floods which were claimed to be unequalled in the history of the white man.

The second cyclone brought serious floods to the South Coast Moreton from 27th to 30th. Rainfalls of 250 to 500mm over the Mary Valley resulted in the worst floods experienced there this century. A peak at Gympie on 28th was the highest since 1898 , and flooded the main street of Gympie to a depth of some 3 metres. Houses were washed away, crops were severely damaged , and as yet the full damage has not been assessed. Peak heights at Tairo and Maryborough were the second highest on record . This was below the disastrous 1893 flood.

Serious flooding was also reported in the upper Brisbane River , as well as the small coastal streams north of Brisbane , namely the Pine and Maroochy rivers , as a result of 125 to 375mm rains on 27th. Flood heights in the Brisbane River were generally the highest since 1931 , resulting in moderate flooding in the lower Brisbane catchment on 29th and 30th. One life was lost. The Port Office gauge at Brisbane peaked at 3am on 30th , resulting in flooding of some low lying suburbs. The western edge of the cyclonic rains caused sharp rises in the upper Condamine River.

Widespread flooding occurred at the end of the month as a result of State wide unseasonable rains from 23rd to 26th , when a number of river systems reported record floods for May. All communications were disrupted , 13 airfields were closed , two lives were lost and stock losses were high , particularly along the Thomson River. Totals up to 800mm in 3 days were reported on parts of the central coast , mainly in the Pioneer River catchment , with extensive low level flooding necessitating the evacuation of a large number of homes.

The general 100 to 250mm rains over the centre of the State caused moderate flooding in the Flinders , Diamantina , Barcoo and Fitzroy rivers , as well as the lower Burdekin River where the Inkerman rail bridge was submerged for 2 days. The unseasonable nature of the rains caught graziers with stock near the rivers and widespread losses resulted , particularly on the Thomson River, which experienced record flooding. Peak heights at Longreach and Jundah were the highest ever recorded for any month. Boats were used to evacuate 50 families at Longreach and food drops were necessary.

Near record floods also occurred in the Dawson River where Theodore reported the second highest flood on record. Streams in southern districts caused some traffic disabilities but generally only suffered minor flooding. At the close of the month the flood peaks were still to be experienced in the lower reaches of Cooper Creek , Fitzroy , Balonne and Warrego rivers.

However all these floods were insignificant compared to that on the Darling Downs , where unprecedented floods were experienced in the Condamine and Macintyre rivers. Heavy rain [ e.g. Inglewood 275mm in 16 hours , Leyburn 150mm in 4 hours ] gave general 250 to 325mm falls over the central Downs for the 72 hours ending 0900 23rd. Record river levels were reported at Goondiwindi on 22nd , Riverton on 21st , Ranges Bridge on 22nd , Miles on 22nd , Tummaville on 22nd and Inglewood on 22nd. Macintyre Brook at Inglewood rose more than 3 metres above the level previously thought by engineers to be the flood extreme. 

Near record flooding was also reported at Condamine , Texas and Surat with a large volume of water moving downstream into New South Wales. The most devastated area was in the Inglewood-Yelarbon region , where the multi-million dollar tobacco crop was almost completely destroyed and damage to homes was estimated at around half a million dollars in Inglewood alone [population 1100]. Traffic and communications were dislocated generally , bridges and railway lines washed away , and stock losses were heavy.

High flood levels were reached in the lower Fitzroy River at Riverslea on 20th and Rockhampton on 23rd , following serious floods in the Dawson and Nogoa catchments. On the Dawson River , Theodore reached a record height on 14th and Taroom recorded the highest level since 1890 on 11th.

Moderate flooding was reported in all inland streams draining from the central Highlands. These included the Thomson , Barcoo , Warrego , Bulloo and Paroo rivers and high levels were maintained for the greater part of the month.

The catchment areas of the Condamine and Macintyre rivers , where streams were still in a swollen state from the record January floods , experienced a succession of flood rains. Highland districts received up to 750mm in 3 weeks , completely waterlogging the country and resulting in 100% run-off. Three floods in the Macintyre catchment gave peak heights at Goondiwindi on 7th , 11th and 20th. This last reading , and a peak at Texas on 19th , broke all existing records , but resulted from only 25 to 100mm of rain over the catchment. The succession of 4 major floods in 4 weeks [including the January flood] , was also a record. Roads and bridges were severely damaged , and a 50 metre gap torn in the bank of the Bonshaw Weir. Food drops were made necessary due to a general breakdown of transport. The repeated flood rains have maintained very high levels in the Balonne and Barwon rivers for the whole month and towns are still isolated. 

Rapid serious flooding occurred on the South Coast hinterland between Brisbane and the N.S.W. border when a rain depression gave totals up to 400mm in border districts for the 18th and 19th. Landslides blocked roads and bridges were washed away , resulting in the worst damage this area has experienced since the February 1954 cyclone.

Heavy coastal rains gave moderate flooding in the Mary , Burnett and Kolan catchments from 7th to 14th . Gympie , on the Mary River , recorded a peak on the 12th. On the Kolan River , Monduran reported a record height on 11th.

Sustained flooding , but not of a serious nature , was reported throughout the month in the Fitzroy River system and all southern interior streams. The heavy run-off from the February floods on the Darling Downs maintained high levels in the Balonne River for the whole month.

Heavy rains on the tropical coast at the end of the month gave further floods to the Herbert and Burdekin rivers and reached serious proportions in the Pioneer catchment on 31st. Four spans of the high level rail bridge at Mirani were washed away when the river rose 15 metres and flood waters inundated parts of Mackay.

The March rains also affected the far west where the Diamantina and lower Georgina rivers experienced sustained flooding. In tropical divisions , some flooding was reported on the lower Burdekin River , covering the Inkerman rail bridge from 1st to 4th , and moderate flooding in the Fitzroy catchment. Floodwaters in most streams had subsided by the middle of the month.

Sharp stream rises were reported in the upper Condamine River , with sustained flooding in the lower Balonne and Moonie rivers. All other south western rivers were carrying floodwaters following the prolonged wet season. Slight flooding was also reported in the Fitzroy and Burdekin catchments.

Widespread rains at this time also caused slight flooding in the Fitzroy , Mary , Burnett and Brisbane catchments , with minor traffic disruptions. Southern parts of the South Coast Moreton district experienced local flooding when Tallebudgera recorded 385mm in 24 hours to 0900 25th.

Continued wet weather over southern inland districts has maintained high levels in all south-western rivers. The Warrego River was reported to be 13 kilometres wide at Cunnamulla. A number of stations on the Warrego , Bulloo and Paroo rivers reported the highest July levels on record. Drier weather in the second half of the month in these areas is at last allowing streams to subside.

The central and north-west interior rivers were also flooded. The Nogoa River peaked at Emerald on 25th. A railway washaway occurred near Alpha. The Fitzroy River was still carrying heavy flood run-off and was still delaying traffic at the end of the month. Riverslea peaked on 26th, fell till 20th and peaked again on 31st. Near Gayndah on 24th , a man was reported drowned in the flooded Burnett River. 

The December flood on the Fitzroy catchment peaked in the lower reaches on 3rd and 4th without any serious dislocation of traffic , whilst the December flood in the Condamine catchment maintained high levels in the Balonne River during the first half of the month.

General heavy rains over the eastern tropics from 8th to 10th caused flooding in the Burdekin , Thomson and eastern Gulf rivers with widespread dislocation of traffic. The sustained moderate flooding on the Thomson River caused evacuation of homes at Muttaburra , where a peak occurred on 12th.

Local flooding was reported on the central coast between Sarina and Townsville on 29th with sharp rises in the short coastal streams. Heavy rains in the upper western districts on 28th and 29th caused washaways on the Cloncurry to Mt.Isa railway line , as well as the heaviest flooding in the Burke River for 20 years. These rains extended into parts of the lower western area causing floods in the Diamantina and Georgina rivers.

Moderate levels were also maintained in the Gulf streams for the first half of the month. Heavy rain on the far north coast on 3rd , with some 250mm totals , caused local flooding with traffic disabilities as well as slight flooding in the Herbert River. The only other stream rises reported were due to freshes in the Burdekin catchment from 4th to 6th , and in the north-east parts of the Fitzroy catchment on 25th. 

Heavy rains in the Carpentaria districts gave sharp rises in the upper reaches of the Gilbert River on 14th , and moderate levels in the Flinders River were maintained for the greater part of the month.

Very heavy rain on the far north coast from 26th to 28th caused a sharp flood in the Barron River , inundating hundred of acres of sugar cane. Local flooding, particularly in the Cooktown area , disrupted road and air services. Floodwaters caused local damage to ships and homes , and for a time Cooktown was isolated. The State generally experienced well below the normal amount of flooding during the month , all the major catchments being in fairly dry condition. 

Phenomenal rainfall on the Central Coast from 16th to 20th produced disastrous flooding, the most devastated areas being centred around Mackay. The short coastal streams between Mackay and Bowen reported record floods, with the Pioneer River at Mirani reaching a peak at 0500 on 18th. This level exceeded the height recorded in the Mackay cyclone of January 1918 and the previous record established in 1884.

Three lives were lost in the Mackay area ,at least 20 homes and a hall were washed away , dozens of cars were overturned and filled with sand , and debris from wrecked buildings was scattered for about 1 kilometre. Many bridge , including the temporary rail bridge at Mirani , were washed away. Damage in Mackay will be extremely costly and considerable delay in the repair of roads, bridges and railway lines is anticipated. A hole 5 metre deep was gouged in one street, a 1 kilometre stretch of railway line washed away and the whole city covered under a blanket of mud.

After being inundated for 12 hours, Foulden [population 250] was completely destroyed and property owners lost all their possessions. All houses were totally wrecked, three being washed out to sea. Most of the population sought refuse on the roofs of their homes, only to find them being washed away and many narrow escapes from drowning were reported. The flood left great depths of silt which completely covered the town by up to 3 metres. In places only the tops of telephone poles were showing. All communications were cut and cane crops were destroyed.

Flooding at Finch Hatton , where 865mm of rain was reported in 24 hours , also reached disastrous proportions , wrecking the main street , washing away one home and damaging two hotels and a service station. Record floods in the O'Connell River washed away bridges at Elaroo and Bloomsbury whilst at Giru 1 metre of water flowed through the town.

Traffic disabilities were widespread and communications were badly disrupted. In some areas these are still not restored and the full flood picture is not yet available. The main northern railway line was washed away at several places, many travellers were stranded and food shortages were reported in some of the isolated towns.

In the Burdekin River catchment, record floods were reported in the Cape, Suttor and Sellheim rivers, even higher than the 1918 floods. Some 90 years old stations were under water for the first time. At Lornesleigh the water reached to the second floor of the station homestead, whilst seven people were marooned on a hilltop for 11 days at Mt Elsie station. Near record flooding in the lower Burdekin caused the evacuation of parts of Ayr and Home Hill. The peak at Clare was at 0730 on 24th and at Inkerman Bridge at 1600 on 24th

In northern parts of the Thomson River catchment, severe flooding was reported in Torrens and Cornish creeks, the former being 50 metres wide at Torrens Creek site for 33 hours. Thirty shearers and stockmen were isolated 150 kilometres north of Aramac.

Heavy flooding, but no great damage, was experienced in northern parts of the Fitzroy River catchment, particularly in Funnel and Denison creeks and Connors River. Peaks were reached at Waitara on Funnel Creek on 18th, at Deverill on the Isaacs River on 21st and at Valeria on Theresa Creek on 23rd. The remainder of the Fitzroy basin reported moderate flood heights. A high flood was reported in the Einasleigh River at this time, but in the Herbert, Flinders , Kolan , Burnett and Mary rivers flooding was only slight.

The heavy rain depression of 27th to 31st caused widespread dislocation of traffic in the far north coast and Peninsula region. The Herbert River at North Gairloch peaked on 30th , and the swollen Barron River damaged a bridge at Mareeba and washed two cars out to sea near Cairns. Many travellers were stranded at Cairns where water was backed up by high tides to swamp many yards.

Flooding in the Haughton River blocked the rail bridge at Giru and a goods train was derailed near Townsville , whilst some flooding was also reported in the upper reaches of the Burdekin River.

Heavy rain in the Gulf Country caused local flooding as well as widespread dislocation of traffic throughout the lower Carpentaria district. In 24 hours to 0900 29th , Normanton recorded 295mm and falls of 375mm in the Normanton district were reported. The Georgina , Burke and Gregory rivers were reported in flood and sharp rises affected the upper reaches of the Diamantina and Thomson rivers. Floodwaters 2 metres deep inundated lower parts of Winton where some families were evacuated. Waters from the Georgina , Burke and Diamantina rivers should give some valuable flooding in the parched channel country over the next few weeks.

Subsequent flooding of the lower Burdekin River also broke all records. Goods were damaged when Home Hill and Ayr were inundated , the water being 2 metres deep in the main street of Home Hill at one time. Many cane farms were seriously damaged , three spans of the old railway bridge at Home Hill were washed away and approaches to the new high level bridge cut. Restoration of river banks on the Burdekin is expected to be costly. Record peaks were on the Bowen River at Birralee on 3rd , and on the Burdekin River at Dalbeg on 3rd , at Strathalbyn on 3rd and Home Hill [Inkerman Bridge] on 3rd.

Torrential rain caused record floods in other southern tributaries of the Burdekin on 6th. Heights on the Suttor River reached 3 to 4.5 metres above the levels thought by local inhabitants to be the flood extreme. Unofficial rain gauges recorded as much as 500mm in 10 hours and the river was 35 kilometres wide in places. Homesteads which had never before been affected by floodwaters were almost submerged and some were carried away. Bridges were destroyed and roads damaged by scouring up to 5 metres deep. The Pioneer River was also in high flood on 2nd and 3rd , causing the evacuation of 60 homes at Mackay.

Heavy flooding was reported in the Mackenzie River and lower reaches of the Fitzroy River as a result of near record river heights in the northern tributaries , notably Funnel Creek and the Connors and Isaacs rivers. On 3rd , Funnel Creek at Saltbush Park reached the highest reading for 40 years , whilst Royles on the Mackenzie River reported a record height at 1100 on 6th. Near record levels were recorded at other stations in the northern catchments of the Fitzroy basin. Peak heights in the lower reaches occurred at Riverslea on 10th , at Yaamba on 12th and at Rockhampton on 13th. Some low lying yards in Rockhampton were I metre under water and traffic around the city was disrupted.

Slight flooding was reported in the Herbert and Flinders rivers at this time , and the Cloncurry River at Cloncurry peaked on 2nd. Two slight floods were also reported in the Mary River from 1st to 5th and 13th to 16th , but these mainly affected eastern parts of the catchment.

At Springbrook 475mm of rain fell in 4 days , resulting in sharp rises in the Nerang River , but no damage was reported. A considerable volume of water also affected the other short coastal streams , notably the Maroochy and Pine rivers.

Slight flooding was reported in the middle reaches of the Condamine River from 11th to 17th , with the lower areas of Dalby being evacuated when Myall Creek flooded. Resultant stream rises were sustained in the Balonne River for another week with peaks at Surat on 16th and St George on 22nd. The Moonie River also carried some run-off from 11th to 17th with a peak at Thallon on 16th. A fresh in the Dawson River affected river levels from 10th to 13th.

Moderate flooding occurred in western parts of the Fitzroy basin from 27th to 30th with Teresa Creek peaking at Valeria on 30th. Slight flooding was reported along the Macintyre , Moonie and Balonne rivers from 25th to 31st with a peak at Goondiwindi on 25th. A fresh was reported in the Mary and Burnett rivers from 23rd to 25th.

The Gulf cyclone and rain depression was responsible for moderate flooding in the northern half of the Burdekin catchment from 12th to 17th. These floodwaters affected the lower Burdekin until 19th. Peak heights were recorded at Sellheim on 16th and Clare on 17th. Slight flooding was reported in the lower Herbert River on 15th and 16th and a high flood affected the Palmer River. Although no reports were received it is assumed that most western Peninsula streams were in flood at this time.

Slight flooding with traffic disabilities was reported in the Warrego , Bulloo and Paroo rivers from 28th to 31st. In addition to the above , local flooding was reported from many centres as a result of heavy storm rains.

Moderate flooding affected the lower Burdekin River on 17th and 18th but in the Pioneer River basin sharp flooding caused the evacuation of 200 people from Mackay and the loss of bridges at Finch Hatton and Mirani ,with a peak at Mirani on 17th.

The whole of the Fitzroy catchment experienced moderate flooding which commenced on 17th and moved to the lower reaches by the end of the month. Peaks on the Mackenzie River were St. Aubins on 18th and Royles on 21st . Peaks on the Dawson River were at Taroom on 19th and Theodore on 24th . Peaks on the Fitzroy River were at Riverslea on 24th and Rockhampton on 27th. A new bridge was swept away on the Duaringa - Springsure highway at Mimosa Creek.

Two hundred sheep were lost in the severe flood on Capella Creek , and many Clermont families were evacuated when Sandy Creek became a 500 metre wide torrent after 275mm of rain within 12 hours in the surrounding area. Clermont was isolated in flooding which was described as the worst since the 1916 disaster. In the lower Fitzroy River , water entered low lying yards in parts of Rockhampton at the peak of the flood.

Only slight flooding was reported in the Kolan , Burnett and Mary rivers , but following 150 to 250mm rains , severe floods affected the headwaters region of the Condamine River and south western parts of the Brisbane catchment. Laidley experienced the worst flood in its history on 18th , when Laidley Creek was 2 kilometres wide and approximately 0.4 metres higher than the 1893 flood. Very rapid flooding inundated the main business centre and 50 shops had up to 2.5 metres of water in them , resulting in high cost damage to shop fittings and machinery. Only a few houses in the town were above the flood , more than 200 families were evacuated and 50 people rescued from roof tops.

Following 235mm at the Head ,[ mostly overnight rain ], the Condamine River reached a width of 3 kilometres at Killarney. Water reached a height of 3 metres in the business section of the town , the highest in memory. Two bridges were swept away and the total damage cost in the town was very high. Allora reported its biggest flood for 50 years , bridges were damaged , people evacuated from homes and kilometres of fencing washed away. The flood crest flattened as it moved down the Condamine and Balonne rivers , giving mostly moderate flooding. Peaks reported were Warwick on 18th , Tummaville on 20th , Ranges Bridge on 20th , St. George on 24th and Dirranbandi on 27th.

Slight flooding with little damage was reported in the Macintyre , Moonie , Maranoa and Warrego rivers at this time. At the end of the month 350 to 450mm rains in 24 hours caused much local flooding in the far north coast with considerable traffic disabilities between Townsville and Cairns.

The lower Dawson and Fitzroy rivers experienced moderate flood run-off from the February rains during the first 3 days of the month , whilst a fresh affected the middle reaches of the Dawson River from 19th to 21st , mainly as a result of flash flooding in Castle Creek.

Torrential rain produced local flooding on the far north coast on 5th. Combined with a high tide , Cairns experienced its worst local flooding for 25 years , with water flooding many shops and debris blocking the city water supply lines.

Further heavy rain on the far north coast from 12th to 14th caused traffic disabilities , damaged bridges and marooned farmers. Slight flooding in the Herbert River resulted in a peak at North Gairloch [ Ingham ] on 13th. Moderate rainfall caused some rises in north-western rivers , notably the Cloncurry and Georgina rivers on 14th .Two men were drowned at the time by local floodwaters , one at Mt.Isa and the other near Herberton.

Local flooding was reported on the Gold Coast on 19th , water flooding Lennons Broadbeach Hotel and shops at Surfers Paradise and Burleigh Heads. Heavy rain at the end of the month produced further local flooding in the Moreton district with freshes in the Pine , Stanley and Mary rivers from 28th to 30th. A storm giving 110mm in 90 minutes near Miva in the Mary catchment caused much damage to roads in the area.

General rains from 9th to 13th , with totals of 150 to 250mm in the southern Moreton district and 50 to 175mm on the Darling Downs , resulted in widespread flooding in south eastern districts. In most catchments flooding was slight , but a few areas of local severe flooding were reported. Road , rail and air traffic was disrupted and landslides were reported on the western highway to Toowoomba. It is anticipated that the Downs wheat and barley crops will be reduced by as much as 1.5 million bushells and overall crop losses will be very costly.

The worst of the local flooding occurred in the following areas :

Jandowae - Warra on the northern Downs. Rainfalls between 150 to 175mm were reported to the east of Jandowae in the 24 hours to 0900 11th. Floodwaters ruined many wheat and barley crops and caused the evacuation of 20 homes at Jandowae.

Laidley. Local severe flooding resulted in 1 metre of water in some streets of Laidley , flooding business premises. Hundreds of acres of small crops were inundated in the Lockyer Valley with damage proving very costly.

Marburg. Heavy flood run-off damaged three bridges , destroyed a garage and covered the western highway to in excess of 1 metre of water.

General light flooding was reported in the Brisbane , Condamine , Mary and south Burnett rivers , as well as the smaller South Coast streams from 11th to 17th. Flood run-off continued in the lower Condamine and Balonne during the remainder of the month. Peaks occurred on the Brisbane River at Murrumba on 14th and Mt.Crosby on 15th , on the Condamine at Warwick on 14th and Ranges Bridge on 19th , on the Balonne River at Surat on 21st , and on the Mary River at Kenilworth on 13th , Gympie on 14th and Tiaro on 16th.

Between 26th to 29th , moderate flooding was reported in western Peninsula streams , particularly the Mitchell and Walsh rivers , as a result of cyclonic rains. Many 24 hour totals exceeded 100mm and flood waters entered some station homesteads. Disruption of traffic and communications was widespread. Minor flooding was reported in the Herbert and Burdekin rivers at this time.