Bundaberg in flood

Major flooding of the Burnett River is relatively infrequent but when heavy rainfall pours down, resulting from low pressure systems over the catchment, significant river rises and floods have occurred, such as those in the years 1875, 1890, 1893, 1928, 1942, 1954, 1971 and presently in 2010. The following John Oxley Library images record some of these.

Today Bundaberg, like a number of other Queensland towns including Theodore, Dalby, Alpha, Jericho, Emerald and Rockhampton, is flooded with 400 people evacuated overnight as the Burnett River reached 7.9 metres, the highest since 1942 when it reached 8.4 metres.

Bundaberg resident Scott Coleman sent through the images above to be added to the John Oxley Library as a lasting eyewitess record of the floods of 2010.  Mr Coleman took these photographs today at 12.30pm.

This recent deluge has caused wide scale damage and devastation throughout Queensland and Northern NSW and, when the waters do eventually recede, images and accounts recorded by those who experienced this natural disaster will form a continuing memory of the events of December 2010.

The John Oxley Library houses photographs, maps, newpapers, diaries, letters and films that record the effect of floods on the people and places of Queensland.