1893 Brisbane flood
Encyclopedia
The 1893 Brisbane flood, occasionally referred to as the Great Flood of 1893 or the Black February flood, occurred when the Brisbane River
burst its banks on three occasions in February 1893. It is the occurrence of three major floods in the same month that saw the period named "Black February". There was also a fourth flood event later in the same year in June. The river runs through the centre of Brisbane
in the Australia
n state of Queensland
,with much of the population living in areas beside the river. It was flooded in the first flood due to a deluge
associated with a tropical cyclone
, called "Buninyong".
The second cyclone struck on the 11th February causing relatively minor flooding compared to the first flood.
When the third cyclone came on 19th February, it was almost as devastating as the first, and it left up to one third of Brisbane's residents homeless. This time however the flood in the Brisbane River was largely from waters from the upper reaches of Brisbane River, rather than the Stanley River.
For the first flood, Crohamhurst recorded 914.4 mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period. The water surge was recorded on the Port Office gauge
(now the City gauge) as being 8.35 metres (27 feet, 5 inches) above the low tide level. The February 1893 floods were the second and third highest water levels ever recorded at the City gauge, the highest being the January 1841 flood at 8.43 metres (27 feet, 8 inches). There was however some oral aboriginal history suggesting a flood level of nearly 12 m prior to the first European settlement.
The 1893 events was preceded by two notable yet less severe floods in 1887 and 1890. Both were caused by high levels of summer rainfall; however the rainfall around this period (with the exception of the two summers) was described as "very low".
was the Premier of Queensland, over the Black February period, although in March 1893, shortly after the events he resigned in order to join the Supreme Court of Queensland
. Thomas McIlwraith
then became Premier of Queensland. It was still ten years before the Commonwealth of Australia would be formed, at which time Queensland became a State.
Brisbane in 1891 had a population of 84,000 people. The area was split between several small local governments (they were not amalgamated until 1925) John McMaster
was Mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council, which contained the City Centre, and was the most important of the local government authorities.
and the railway bridge at Indooroopilly
were destroyed. The Victoria Bridge, which was an iron bridge with a turning span to allow traffic to go upriver, was ruined on Monday 6th February, when the northern half of the bridge was washed away. It was not replaced until 1897, with ferries used in the meantime. The total damage caused by the flooding has been estimated at A$
4 million (1893 figures), although no official figures exist.
The great advances in technology associated with photography meant that there were many photos taken of the event, some of which still exist today. A local businessman who would later become Premier, Robert Philp
had a photo albulm (a very expensive item at the time) of the floods, which survives today.
which was flooded on Saturday 4th February by the Bremer River, a tributary
of the Brisbane River. The seven miners killed included Thomas Wright (Mine Manager) and George Wright who were both sons of the owner. The other five miners were Andrew Smart, Patrick McQuade, John McQuade (son of Patrick), Charles Walker, and Mathew Cuthbertson. The lease over the mine was nearly expired so the mine was not in operation, but the men were removing rails and other mine equipment for use elsewhere. The colliery had two tunnels, and the flood waters had already reached the works. Thomas Wright, despite his father's advice against going down into the mine, arranged for seven men to go into the main tunnel and three men to go into the minor tunnel. Without warning, the roof collapsed over part of the main tunnel with air forced out of the mine in a great rush hurling wagons out of the way and trapping all seven men who entered the main tunnel. The men signaled the engine driver on the surface to pull them out but the collapse was major enough to prevent rescue. In minutes water had flooded the works and those not killed in the collapse would have drowned.
In early February, after the heavy rains caused by Tropical Cyclone Buninyong, the weather had finally broken, and to his surprise, Somerset saw from his porch a great wall of water come down the Stanley River. This was especially concerning to Somerset, as the heavy rains caused by a tropical cyclone Buninyong (informally named after the ship that first sighted it) had already caused the Stanley River to exceed the 1890 flood level. Somerset, realizing that people downriver where in great danger sent one of his workers, Henry (Harry) Winwood to Esk to send a telegraph to warn them. The telegraph sent warned the Brisbane General Post Office that Brisbane, Ipswich, Goodna, Lowood and other areas were in danger. The inhabitants of Brisbane were not worried however due to the fine weather, as the days of heavy rain having ended, all threat of floods seemed to have disappeared. The Brisbane General Post Office only posted the warning on a single noticeboard, and it went almost completely unheeded.
On 17 February, another cyclone crossed the Queensland coast near Bundaberg to drench the already saturated Brisbane River catchment. Somerset observed that the Brisbane River was flooded in similar levels to the first flood of the Stanley River
. He knew that the telegraph lines were down between Esk and Brisbane, but he knew that there was a telegraph office at the small township of North Pine (now Petrie), although this would require crossing the D'Aguilar Range
. William (Billy) Mateer, of Eidsvold (Dalgangel Station)was Somerset's most talented horseman, and he was selected to undertake this dangerous mission. Somerset and his men had to arrange for a dangerous crossing of the already flooded Brisbane River, with Mateer sent on with the only surviving horse (called Lunatic). Mateer survived the hazardous journey to North Pine, and delivered Somerset's message, which was again sadly ignored.
Whilst the warnings went unheeded, as a result of these heroic efforts, Caboonbah Station was made an official flood warning station, with a telegraph line to Esk. Somerset initially manned the station in its early years, having to use morse code for 12 years prior to the introduction of the telephone.
In modern times, Caboonbah Homestead was restored and used as a museum. The restoration works on Caboonbah Homestead were undone, as on Monday 11th May 2009, the homestead was burnt to the ground.
is a 904,000 megalitres dam located on the Stanley River
(380,000 megalitres normal water supply capacity, but the dam can hold another 524,000 megalitre of extra flood capacity). The site was first suggested for the location of a dam by Henry Somerset, after the 1893 floods, and he championed its construction when he was elected to parliament in 1904, where he served for 16 years as the Member for Stanley. Construction of the dam was not started until 1933, and it was finally finished in 1953. It was seen as a major job creation project when it commenced in the Depression, but was delayed by World War Two.
The same day that the notice of Billy Mateer's death appeared in the newspaper, there was also a major announcement that the State Government had approved the construction of Somerset Dam (the site had been identified in 1933, by the Bureau of Industry.
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
burst its banks on three occasions in February 1893. It is the occurrence of three major floods in the same month that saw the period named "Black February". There was also a fourth flood event later in the same year in June. The river runs through the centre of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
,with much of the population living in areas beside the river. It was flooded in the first flood due to a deluge
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
associated with a tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclone
A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a large low-pressure center and numerous thunderstorms that produce strong winds and heavy rain. Tropical cyclones strengthen when water evaporated from the ocean is released as the saturated air rises, resulting in condensation of water vapor...
, called "Buninyong".
The second cyclone struck on the 11th February causing relatively minor flooding compared to the first flood.
When the third cyclone came on 19th February, it was almost as devastating as the first, and it left up to one third of Brisbane's residents homeless. This time however the flood in the Brisbane River was largely from waters from the upper reaches of Brisbane River, rather than the Stanley River.
For the first flood, Crohamhurst recorded 914.4 mm of rain fell in a 24 hour period. The water surge was recorded on the Port Office gauge
Stream gauge
A stream gauge, stream gage or gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water surface elevation and/or volumetric discharge are generally taken and observations of biota may also be...
(now the City gauge) as being 8.35 metres (27 feet, 5 inches) above the low tide level. The February 1893 floods were the second and third highest water levels ever recorded at the City gauge, the highest being the January 1841 flood at 8.43 metres (27 feet, 8 inches). There was however some oral aboriginal history suggesting a flood level of nearly 12 m prior to the first European settlement.
The 1893 events was preceded by two notable yet less severe floods in 1887 and 1890. Both were caused by high levels of summer rainfall; however the rainfall around this period (with the exception of the two summers) was described as "very low".
Historical context
Queensland was still only in its infancy, having being made a self governing colony in 1859. Samuel GriffithSamuel Griffith
Sir Samuel Walker Griffith GCMG QC, was an Australian politician, Premier of Queensland, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and a principal author of the Constitution of Australia.-Early life:...
was the Premier of Queensland, over the Black February period, although in March 1893, shortly after the events he resigned in order to join the Supreme Court of Queensland
Supreme Court of Queensland
The Supreme Court of Queensland, which is based at the Law Courts Complex, is the superior court for the Australian State of Queensland and sits around the middle of the Australian court hierarchy...
. Thomas McIlwraith
Thomas McIlwraith
Sir Thomas McIlwraith KCMG was for many years the dominant figure of colonial politics in Queensland. He was Premier of Queensland from 1877 to 1883, again in 1888, and for a third time in 1893...
then became Premier of Queensland. It was still ten years before the Commonwealth of Australia would be formed, at which time Queensland became a State.
Brisbane in 1891 had a population of 84,000 people. The area was split between several small local governments (they were not amalgamated until 1925) John McMaster
John McMaster (mayor)
John McMaster was an alderman and mayor of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland and a Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland.-Personal life:...
was Mayor of Brisbane Municipal Council, which contained the City Centre, and was the most important of the local government authorities.
Damage
The southern regions of the city were most affected by the flood. Both of the bridges that crossed the river, the Victoria BridgeVictoria Bridge, Brisbane
The Victoria Bridge is a vehicular and pedestrian bridge over the Brisbane River. The current bridge, opened in 1969, is the third permanent crossing erected at this location...
and the railway bridge at Indooroopilly
Indooroopilly, Queensland
Indooroopilly is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia which is located 7 km west of the Brisbane central business district.- Name derivation and history :...
were destroyed. The Victoria Bridge, which was an iron bridge with a turning span to allow traffic to go upriver, was ruined on Monday 6th February, when the northern half of the bridge was washed away. It was not replaced until 1897, with ferries used in the meantime. The total damage caused by the flooding has been estimated at A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
4 million (1893 figures), although no official figures exist.
The great advances in technology associated with photography meant that there were many photos taken of the event, some of which still exist today. A local businessman who would later become Premier, Robert Philp
Robert Philp
Sir Robert Philp, KCMG was a Queensland businessman and politician who was Premier of Queensland from December 1899 to September 1903 and again from November 1907 to February 1908.-Early life:...
had a photo albulm (a very expensive item at the time) of the floods, which survives today.
Casualties
The flooding was responsible for around 35 deaths. The floods also forced the hospitalisation of 190 residents.Ipswich Coal Mine disaster
Seven of the victims were workers at John Wright's Eclipse colliery in north IpswichIpswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
which was flooded on Saturday 4th February by the Bremer River, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Brisbane River. The seven miners killed included Thomas Wright (Mine Manager) and George Wright who were both sons of the owner. The other five miners were Andrew Smart, Patrick McQuade, John McQuade (son of Patrick), Charles Walker, and Mathew Cuthbertson. The lease over the mine was nearly expired so the mine was not in operation, but the men were removing rails and other mine equipment for use elsewhere. The colliery had two tunnels, and the flood waters had already reached the works. Thomas Wright, despite his father's advice against going down into the mine, arranged for seven men to go into the main tunnel and three men to go into the minor tunnel. Without warning, the roof collapsed over part of the main tunnel with air forced out of the mine in a great rush hurling wagons out of the way and trapping all seven men who entered the main tunnel. The men signaled the engine driver on the surface to pull them out but the collapse was major enough to prevent rescue. In minutes water had flooded the works and those not killed in the collapse would have drowned.
Early warning signs of the 1st and 3rd floods
Henry Plantagenet Somerset (1852-1936), was a landowner in the area where the Stanley River and the Upper Brisbane River meet. He built a homestead called "Caboonbah" on the cliffs above the river, where he lived with his wife, Katherine Rose Somerset (1855-1935). Caboonbah meant “big rock” in the local indigenous language, and it was built 60 feet (18 metres) higher than the rock cliff (Weldon’s Knob) which was the location of the previous highest flood mark, from the 1890 flood event.In early February, after the heavy rains caused by Tropical Cyclone Buninyong, the weather had finally broken, and to his surprise, Somerset saw from his porch a great wall of water come down the Stanley River. This was especially concerning to Somerset, as the heavy rains caused by a tropical cyclone Buninyong (informally named after the ship that first sighted it) had already caused the Stanley River to exceed the 1890 flood level. Somerset, realizing that people downriver where in great danger sent one of his workers, Henry (Harry) Winwood to Esk to send a telegraph to warn them. The telegraph sent warned the Brisbane General Post Office that Brisbane, Ipswich, Goodna, Lowood and other areas were in danger. The inhabitants of Brisbane were not worried however due to the fine weather, as the days of heavy rain having ended, all threat of floods seemed to have disappeared. The Brisbane General Post Office only posted the warning on a single noticeboard, and it went almost completely unheeded.
On 17 February, another cyclone crossed the Queensland coast near Bundaberg to drench the already saturated Brisbane River catchment. Somerset observed that the Brisbane River was flooded in similar levels to the first flood of the Stanley River
Stanley River (Queensland)
The Stanley River in Queensland is the main tributary of the Brisbane River. The Stanley River valley extends roughly 35 km westwards from the area south of Maleny to Kilcoy before veering southwards....
. He knew that the telegraph lines were down between Esk and Brisbane, but he knew that there was a telegraph office at the small township of North Pine (now Petrie), although this would require crossing the D'Aguilar Range
D'Aguilar Range
The D'Aguilar Range is a mountain range near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The town of Dayboro is situated on the lower foothills midway along the range and Woodford lies at the northern most point of the range. Many residential areas line its eastern slopes including the town of Samford and the...
. William (Billy) Mateer, of Eidsvold (Dalgangel Station)was Somerset's most talented horseman, and he was selected to undertake this dangerous mission. Somerset and his men had to arrange for a dangerous crossing of the already flooded Brisbane River, with Mateer sent on with the only surviving horse (called Lunatic). Mateer survived the hazardous journey to North Pine, and delivered Somerset's message, which was again sadly ignored.
Whilst the warnings went unheeded, as a result of these heroic efforts, Caboonbah Station was made an official flood warning station, with a telegraph line to Esk. Somerset initially manned the station in its early years, having to use morse code for 12 years prior to the introduction of the telephone.
In modern times, Caboonbah Homestead was restored and used as a museum. The restoration works on Caboonbah Homestead were undone, as on Monday 11th May 2009, the homestead was burnt to the ground.
Mitigation works
Lake SomersetLake Somerset
Lake Somerset is an artificial lake created by the Somerset Dam on the Stanley River in South East Queensland. The dam was completed in 1953 providing flood mitigation and water storage for the cities of Brisbane and Ipswich and is the site of a small 4 MW hydroelectric power station.At full...
is a 904,000 megalitres dam located on the Stanley River
Stanley River
Stanley River could be any of the following:* Stanley River — a river in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.* Stanley River — a river in Queensland, Australia, main tributary of the Brisbane River...
(380,000 megalitres normal water supply capacity, but the dam can hold another 524,000 megalitre of extra flood capacity). The site was first suggested for the location of a dam by Henry Somerset, after the 1893 floods, and he championed its construction when he was elected to parliament in 1904, where he served for 16 years as the Member for Stanley. Construction of the dam was not started until 1933, and it was finally finished in 1953. It was seen as a major job creation project when it commenced in the Depression, but was delayed by World War Two.
The same day that the notice of Billy Mateer's death appeared in the newspaper, there was also a major announcement that the State Government had approved the construction of Somerset Dam (the site had been identified in 1933, by the Bureau of Industry.
See also
- 1974 Brisbane flood1974 Brisbane floodThe 1974 Brisbane flood occurred in January 1974 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, when waterways in the city experienced significant flooding...
- 2010–2011 Queensland floods2010–2011 Queensland floodsA series of floods hit Australia, beginning in December 2010, primarily in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least seventy towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was...
- List of disasters in Australia by death toll
External links
- Flood Fire Famine Virtual Exhibition, Queensland State ArchivesQueensland State ArchivesThe Queensland State Archives is the custodian of the largest and most significant documentary heritage collection in Queensland and the lead agency for public recordkeeping....
- 1893 flood, Brisbane River, Queensland Historical Atlas
- Trigonometrical Survey of Queensland, 1893 from Trigonometrical survey of Queensland : illustrating extent of major triangulation to December 31st, 1893, printed and published at Surveyor-General's Office
- Local History - South Brisbane, ABC Madonna King and SLQ Brian Randall, 10 March 2006
- Brisbane River History, ABC, Brian Randall, 18 October 2006
- Deluge: the true story of the Great Brisbane Flood of 1893, Video