Flood memory and the immunity myth
Flood memory is key to building resilience. Past experiences can be used in future planning to help communities recover from disasters. Politics and media also shape what is remembered and forgotten about floods. Brisbane’s public flood memory historically supported the myth of flood immunity. This helped to prop up our economy through ongoing floodplain development.
Margaret Cook (2018) “It Will Never Happen Again”: The Myth of Flood Immunity in Brisbane” Journal of Australian Studies
Image: South Brisbane during the January 1974 flood of the Brisbane River at the site that would be redeveloped as the Queensland Performing Arts Centre. Credit: Richard Stringer, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.