1841 flood

In 1824, British colonists developed a penal colony along the Brisbane riverbank, ignoring flood warnings from Aboriginal people. 17 years later, the 1841 flood peaked at 8.43 metres in the city. It caused little damage to the town due to its small population. The risk of future floods did little to stop the subdivision and development of riverside land that soon followed.

Margaret Cook & Ella Harrison (2022) “Ten Years on: Brisbane’s Compounding Flood Risk” Complex Disasters: Compounding, Cascading, and Protracted

Image: Russell Street, South Brisbane, 1890. Courtesy: Lost Brisbane Facebook.