Construction of the roadway embankment between the bridges across the Snowy River flood plains at Orbost commenced in January 1974 and was completed in November 1976. Pearsons were the bridge contractors for the construction of the Princes Freeway and bridges across the river flood plains at Orbost. Heavy rains and floods held up progress.These photographs are of the construction of a major structure in Orbost. The opening of this Snowy River Bridge was an important development in the accessibility to the township of Orbost.Four black / white photographs of construction sites. 3241.1 is of three cranes and other machinery with six persons. 3241.2 is of workmen working on flooded site. 3241.3 is a photograph of the early stages of construction of a bridge looking towards the township. 3241.4 shows the construction of a roadway between the bridges.construction-snowy-river-bridge bridge-orbost

In October 2006, Orbost Secondary College 9/10 Enhancement Studies Class worked to preserve the memories of the Orbost community with three short films describing recollections of Orbost floods. There are ten stories including memories of the 1952, 1971 and 1991 floods. They are narrated by various Orbost identities - Anne Bridges; Kay Lynn; Ken Edlington; Margaret Adams; Max Reynols; Shirley Reynolds and Ngaere Donald.Floods have been part of the history of Orbost since settlement. These stories record impressions of local people.A D.V.D. in a black plastic case. On the cover ia a brown sketch of a tree. Above in black print is the title, "Flood Stories" with " Year 9/10 Enhancement Studies 2006 presents" at the top.sticker and stamp - Orbost & District Historical Society

The Diamond Creek in flood near the Main Road bridge at Eltham, Victoria. The Yarra also was in flood. In early December 1934 the "Greatest flood in the history of the Yarra" occured, according to The Argus newspaper. Bridges and houses were swept away with hundreds of people left homeless across the state. The historic 1934 flood of the Diamond Creek and Yarra River set the criteria for future planning with respect to flood water rise.This photo forms part of a collection of photographs gathered by the Shire of Eltham for their centenary project book, "Pioneers and Painters: 100 years of the Shire of Eltham" by Alan Marshall (1971). The collection of over 500 images is held in partnership between Eltham District Historical Society and Yarra Plenty Regional Library (Eltham Library) and is now formally known as 'The Shire of Eltham Pioneers Photograph Collection.' It is significant in being the first community sourced collection representing the places and people of the Shire's first one hundred years.Digital image 4 x 5 inch B&W Neg (2 frames on one neg) 9 x 15.5 cm B&W printflooding, eltham, shire of eltham pioneers photograph collection, sepp, diamond creek (river), floods, 1934 flood, diamond creek

Flooding of the Yarra Valley, including that section of the Yarra bordering Kew and Kew East in the north and west of the municipality, was a regular occurrence. Extreme flood events of the Yarra River are recorded to have occurred in 1891, 1901, 1916, 1923 and 1934. The Municipality of Kew's response to these floods was to enact planning decisions restricting residential development in flood prone areas following the floods of 1916, 1921 and 1934. While floods continued after the development of the Upper Yarra Reservoir (construction 1948-57), the regularity and extent of these inundations diminished. During the nineteenth century, the land abutting the south side of the Yarra in Kew was devoted to dairy farming. In the twentieth century, before and after the construction of the Eastern Freeway, much of this low-lying area was used as golf courses and public parks.Late example of the capacity of the Yarra Valley at Kew to flood, even though drainage works and the Upper Yarra Reservoir had reduced their regularity.Original black and white print photograph of the low-lying land at East Kew under floodwater on 16 May 1974. The vantage point of the photographer is Lister Street. In the photo, the fences of the Kilby Farm can be seen. Flooding was caused by overflowing water in Glass' Creek and the River Yarra. Annotation verso: "Hay's Paddock op No.30 Lister Street / 16 May 1974 11.50am / R.L. 46.04"hays paddock, floods, yarra river, glass' creek, lister street

North Kew, now divided between Kew and Kew East, bordered the Yarra River. As such, it was a region subject to flooding in the Yarra Valley. Development beyond this point (ie Kellett Grove) was limited by the City of Kew's planning regulations. Prior to urban development, the area since European settlement and the first land sales in the district in the 1840s, had been used for dairy farming. Small sepia snapshot of floodwaters taken from near Willsmere Road, in what was then known as North Kew. The point of view is looking towards Fairfield. In the foreground are two figures viewing a group in a rowboat in the middle of the flooded river. Semi-submerged street lighting indicates that entire streets had been. overwhelmed by the flood waters. Verso: WILLSMERE ROAD NORTH KEW / Stamped 3 163yarra river -- north kew, floods -- yarra valley, floods -- north kew, floods -- 1934, natural disasters -- kew, willsmere road

Living with natural processes was frequently a challenge to early European settlers and later residents of what was in the 1850s administered by the Borondara Road Board. This was compounded by the area being bounded on three sides by rivers (Yarra River, Koonung Creek and Gardiner's Creek). In 1849, the historian James Bonwick recorded that "our district [Kew] suffered considerably. Mr Wade speaks of 80 acres, out of 100 acres of his cultivated paddock, covered by water." Newspapers continued to describe major flooding in Kew in 1863, 1869, 1878, 1880, 1889, 1891, 1916 and 1934. While the construction of the Upper Yarra dam in 1957 reduced the levels of flowing downstream, local and riverine floods continue.The Kew Historical Society's pictures and map collections testify to the impact of flooding in the district. They have historical importance in documenting the extent of flooding in the district and its affects on homes, services and recreation. Numerous photographs record flooding throughout the Twentieth Century.Floods in North Kew, 1971. Looking northeast towards Kilby Road from River Avenue. Annotation on reverse: map and date "8 Nov. 71 10.30am".floods (kew), yarra river, kew flood, kilby road flood

The donation was accompanied by the following letter from the donor: "Hi. I found these in with family photos. Taken by family as Mamie McLeod was living in Fellows Street, Kew, so would be near there. Retain (or discard) as you see fit." [Donor's name and address withheld from public view]. To gain an insight into the flood levels at Kew, it is worth reading newspaper accounts of the event. The Age published an article - Valuable Gardens Destroyed at Kew - on 25 September 1916: "VALUABLE GARDENS DESTROYED AT KEW. From the heights of Studley Park, Kew, a splendid view of the flood waters can be obtained, and yesterday afternoon, despite continuous rain, crowds of citizens assembled there to witness the spectacle. There is a vast stretch of water some 300 or 400 yards broad, above the foot bridge connecting Gipps-street, Collingwood, and Studley Park. The river is only about 3 feet from the top of the embankment connecting with the ramp of the bridge on the Studiey Park side. When the upper llood waters come down it is almost a certainty that tne embankment will be submerged and the bridge rendered impassible. Below the bridge the waters again stretch out, and have submerged all the low-lying land on the Collingwood side and invaded the back premises ot the Kodak Co., Phoenix Biscuit Factory, a tannery adjoining thereto, the Shamrock Brewery, and Chinese gardens in the vicinity. At Walmer-street-bridge, at the end of Studley Park, the low-lying land on the Kew side is covered with water to the depth of many feet. Tlie land in question is owned in a great part by Mr Frank Lavers who haa gone in for intense culture on a pretty liberal scale on both the slopes of the hill and on the river flat. On the latter he is cultivating many acres of asparagus, and has at a considerable cost spent three years in preparing the ground and installing an irrigation system, reticulated from the Yan Yean water supply. This year the asparagus was put down, and the plants were in a promising condition. Tlie flood waters are now flowing fast over the land. The crop is ruined, and three years' work and expenditure destroyed. Mr. Laver's private residence fortunately is high above flood level, but two houses he owns off Young-street have been flooded out. Having been warned in time, the tenants removed their furniture hefore the water came down to Mr. Laver's residence, where they themselves have been given accommodation in the meantime. All the river flats in East Kew are under water. One or two low-lying houses have been flooded. Chipperfield's boat shed at Willsmere is nearly covered, and some Chinese gardens in the vicinity are several feet under water."This, and the other three photographs donated of floods in Kew are believed to be the earliest in the collection. Together with our original MMBW River Yarra map showing flood levels, these items, when compared allow researchers to gain a visual perspective of the extent of the flood in 1916. Panoramic view, believed to be looking north towards Fairfield from the Zig-Zag Bridge on the River Yarra. The inscription on the reverese identifies it as taken before 1920.Inscription on reverse in ink "(pre 1920) Flood from Zig-zag bridge Yarra River, Kew Vic."river yarra, kew, floods 1916, zig-zag bridge

Showing the flood waters of 1946 around the Band Rotunda in the botanical gardens. Funding for the construction of the Rotunda was bequeathed in the Will of local resident Mrs Annie Williams, who was born in Daylesford in 1872 and died in Kew in 1930. Annie’s Will stipulated that the remaining value of her Estate be spent on erecting a Bandstand in the Port Fairy Botanical Gardens dedicated to the memory of her brother Hugh, a stretcher bearer in WW1 and who died in 1921 after being discharged with health issues, her husband Henry, and herself naturally. There is a plaque dedicated to Annie on the Bandstand She requested that the Bandstand be a replica of the one at Daylesford but by 1933 the value of her Estate had diminished to £76.4/8 which was insufficient to cover a similar design and the Borough Councillors felt it would be too extravagant for the Port Fairy Botanical Gardens. Local builder J.J.McLaren’s tender of £71.15/- was accepted and the octagonal concrete pillared construction was completed with the use of sustenance labour the following year. The Bandstand was opened in December, 1934 with a performance by the Port Fairy Band and local residents enjoying the entertainment and a picnic. In 1934 it was reported that there was some fuss in Council because of the whereabouts of the sum of approximately £3/- , being the amount left over from the build. After some months of debate, in which the Councillors suggested that the Engineer had used the money inappropriately, and to which he responded that the build had cost more than the quote, the matter seems to have ended there An image of the flood waters in the botanical gardens in 1946Black and white photograph of Flood water around rotunda in the gardensflood, river, botanical gardens, port fairy, moyne river, rotunda, bandstand

In this image, store merchandise, including drapery, is hung out to dry after the flood. On 20th August,1909 the Laanecoorie Weir broke away and released 18.3 million cubic metres of water through the opening and causing severe damage to all towns downstream. At Newbridge, Petersen's bakery collapsed and Simpson's Store and Hotel flooded to the roof. The billiard table was later found in a tree five miles down the Loddon near Learmonth. Murray Comrie Collection. Monochrome photograph, image depicting buildings in the area near Loddon River at Newbridge after major flood in 1909. This is a very grainy and dark copy of an older original. Copy probably made by Murray Comrie in the 1960s.newbridge, loddon river, flood, simpson, stores, hotels

Feb 1973 flood Charlton, Victoria. Old Ive's house with floodwater to front fence on the Calder Highway opposite Charlton Park Gates. Mrs Gloria Jordan.B/W Photograph of February 1973 flood. Old Ive's house with floodwater to front fence on Calder Highway opposite Charlton Park gates. Photo used in Charlton Tribune on 09/07/1973 P4.flood, charlton, calder highway, local brick

Black and white photograph of young woman walking through floodwaters, possibly carrying an animal. The Diamond Creek in flood at Diamond Creek township, 8 April 1977 Herald and Weekly Times collectionflood, diamond creek, flooding, herald and weekly times, rescue

This folder contains a record of the construction of the flood marker in Forest Park, Orbost. It depicts the six highest floods since the first recording. The construction of the marker was commenced in August 1999 and took eighteen months to be completed by nine volunteers under the tutelage of Ruth Hansen.This item is a contemporary record of the construction of an iconic marker in Orbost.A loose leaf folder containing information, records and photographs about the Historic Flood Marker in Forest Park, Orbost. Most photographs and printed text are glued in. There are twelve loose photographs.The front cover and spine are dark blue, the back is a lighter blue and has a bar code and price sticker attached.flood-marker-orbost

Laminated A3 sheet featuring photograph newspaper clipping - titled "Our Wettest Hour!", from The Sun, 18/2/1972 featuring a photo of a W2 (Route 49, Essendon Niddrie) in Elizabeth St during the big flood the previous day. See TMSV Running Journal April 1972 for details of the event.trams, tramways, elizabeth st, flooding, w2 class, route 49

Family at the spillway in floodmisc.

Family at the spillway in floodmisc.

This small shoe (or boot) was found at Rosebrook, a small settlement between Warrnambool and Port Fairy, after the 1946 Western District floods. These floods are regarded as the worst in the history of European settlement in the Western District. At least five lives were lost, many small settlements and towns were isolated resulting in food shortages, onion and potato crops were ruined, 20 bridges were destroyed or damaged, roads were swept away, hundreds of farm animals perished and road and rail services were disrupted. The floods were the result of a very high rainfall in five successive days (658 points of rain in one 24 hours) and there was more flooding a week after the first major impact of the rains. A link to a major weather event in the South west.This is a small child’s brown shoe made of leather with a lace-up upper part (no laces) and a leather sole. The sides of the upper part of the shoe have broken away at the edges. As the shoe has been water-logged (it was found after the 1946 Western District floods) it has become hard and brittle. warrnambool, rosebrook western district floods, 1946, 1940's shoe

On 17th December 1985 record torrential rain fell in Sunbury, which flooded the main Melbourne Bendigo rail line and disrupted traffic. The photograph is looking to the north of the station and takes in the historic Macedon Street bridge and the open ground with the storage silo on the west side of the railway line. A coloured photograph of a former V Line train stopped at a station where the railway line has been flooded. A storage silo occupies vac ant ground adjacent to the railway line.sunbury railway station, storage silos, horne street

This photograph was sent to Burnley in an envelope printed, "On His Majesty's Service" Centenary Celebrations State of Victoria & City of Melbourne 1934-35 Department of Agriculture, Melbourne and handwritten on it "Flood in orchard 1/12/1934 Mr. Jessep." Note by T.H. Kneen 8 April 1992, "Alex Jessep (left) with Tom Trahair. Periodically Tom would take leave to go back to his home town Yackandandah to test a new theory to find the lost gold seam at the Little Waterloo mine."Black and white photograph. George Russ and Frank Ellery examining the ground by the flooded river. Uprooted trees behind them.This photograph was sent to Burnley in an envelope printed, "On His Majesty's Service" Centenary Celebrations State of Victoria & City of Melbourne 1934-35 Department of Agriculture, Melbourne and handwritten on it "Flood in orchard 1/12/1934 Mr. Jessep."george russ, frank ellery, centenary celebrations, orchard, tom trahair, 1934 flood, alex jessep, uprooted trees

Dudley Charles Seymour Courtney , with a fellow worker, was trapped on the Orbost Raailwaay Station roof until rescued by an army duck. These photographs were his. He worked on the railway in Orbost from 1942 - 1952 approximately. During the 1952 flood nearly half of Orbost rail way station is washed away. The stationmaster and four members of his staff were rescued by police using army ducks.This is a pictorial record of a significant event in the history of Orbost.Nine small black / white photographs of a derailed train at a railway station. Derailed trucks and floodwaters can be seen. The photographs have a narrow white frame. Some are portrait and others landscape.on back of 3082.8 - hand-written in blue pen :"The floods worked the line from under the trucks in a couple of hours"floods-orbost orbost-railway-station rescue courtney-dudley-charles-seymour

This is a photograph of the original Orbost / Snowy River Bridge , a suspension bridge which opened in 1893. It has been taken when the Snowy River was in flood. It is similar to other photographs held in The State Library, Victoria. The Snowy River Mail and Tambo and Croajingolong Gazette Sat 12 Aug 1893 records the opening of this bridge as "the most important public event that has yet been commemorated in Eastern ......The Messrs McLeod, with whom the first settlement of this district is generally associated, took up their residence on the eastern bank of the Snowy River about the year 1841 or 42. The late Mr W. Roadknight and Mr T. T. Stirling took possession of the territory on the western side of the Snowy about 35 years ago. During the occupation of the country by cattle owners, very little progress was made in the way of roads and bridges, and except to the hardy and lexperienced bushman, it might have been generally regarded as inaccessible. About the year 1877, however, the late Mr James Robertson eldest son of Mr James Robertson, of Lochend farm, selected land now occupied by his father, about four miles from Orbost on the west bank of the river, Mr John Cameron visited the. district shortly after a .tour of inspection and returned later with his brothers, James and Alick Gameron, but found that during their absence Mr Ernest Watt had found his way on the scene and pegged out a selection, thus anticipating the advent of the Camerons by about 12 hours. We understand that a Mr Kidd, who selected the property now occupied by Mr W. J. Ross, at Pumpkin Point, was one of the earliest batch of settlors.........."This is a pictorial record of an early bridge across the Snowy River at Orbost.A black / white photograph of a suspension bridge with flood waters below the bridge.orbost-bridge suspension-bridge snowy-river

Postmaster-General's Department telegraph linesman, Chris Byrnes, received a British Empire Medal for bravery and devotion to duty for his response to the flooding at Darlington Point, New South Wales, in June 1952. As E Henderson, then Acting Director of Posts and Telegraphs recalled, the town's "communication lines were menaced by floodwaters" when the nearby Murrumbidgee River flooded. In order to retain communication to the town, Chris Byrnes, a Postmaster-General's Department employee of over 13 years, acted in the "best traditions of the service" (E Henderson). An eye witness, recorded in the Murrumbidgee Irrigator newspaper on June 27 1952, described Byrne’s efforts: "An interesting incident was witnessed when a Leeton post office linesman swam through flood waters to reach a telegraph post which had been washed out by the flood…With a rope tied around his waist, one end of which was held by other members of the linesmen's gang, Chris Byrne swam through the flood water…to release the trunk lines from the post." An eye witness, recorded in the Murrumbidgee Irrigator newspaper on June 27 1952, described Byrne’s efforts: "An interesting incident was witnessed when a Leeton post office linesman swam through flood waters to reach a telegraph post which had been washed out by the flood…With a rope tied around his waist, one end of which was held by other members of the linesmen's gang, Chris Byrne swam through the flood water…to release the trunk lines from the post."darlington point, murrumbidgee river, pmg, postmaster-general, linesman, flooding, natural disaster, emergency

The Snowy River Mail is a weekly newspaper published in Orbost in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Previously published as The Snowy River mail and Tambo and Croajingolong gazette from 1890 to 1911. The Gippsland Courier merged with the Snowy River Mail when proprietor Lachlan Ross moved to Orbost in 1910. In 1999 the paper was acquired by the Yeates family when the Hollins family retired from the newspapers business. The paper is still being produced by the fourth generation of the Yeates family as part of East Gippsland Newspapers. The 1950 flood was a significant event in Orbost. This newspaper is a contemporary record of a significant local events.A Snowy River Mail newspaper dated 29.3.1950. It contains news articles and advertisements in black/white print. it contains an article on the flood at that time.snowy-river-mail 1950-flood newspaper

These articles were compiled by Mary Gilbert who was the first curator of the Orbost Museum and a prominent historian / teacher in Orbost. The 1971 floods at Orbost were the worst on record. At Jarrahmond the river rose to a height of 11 metres and on the flats spread to one and a half kilometres wide. Considerable damage was done to railway infrastructure, roads and farms. More information from the APRIL, 2008 newsletter by John Phillips. (see orbosthistory.com.au)These articles are contemporary records of a significant historical event in Orbost.A manila folder containing black / white newspaper clippings from various publishers. They all relate to the 1971 floods in Orbost. (Details of contents in catalogue 735-900)floods-orbost-1971

Major floods recurred of the Yarra River on a regular basis. A flood in 1901 destroyed this house in Victoria Street, Abbotsford. Later print copy of an original photograph. Home of C/N Burgess on the south side of Yarra River. The buildings were washed away in a flood in 1901 The house was in the same location as that on which Handley & Tilly was later built. This would locate it on the north side of Victoria Street, Abbotsford between Burnley Street and the Victoria Street Bridge. Photo shows three men and one woman working in an established garden in front of a weatherboard cottage."Home of C/N Burgess on south side of river; washed away in 1901; Handley & Tilly on site"yarra river -- floods, yarra river flood -- 1901, burgess family -- victoria street -- abbotsford (vic.)

Colour photograph. Note debris on the rail fencing around the oval. The Diamond Creek in flood at Diamond Creek township, 8 April 1977 Nillumbik Historical Society collectionflood, diamond creek, flooding, oval, nillumbik historical society, rail

The Snowy River Mail is a weekly newspaper published in Orbost in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Previously published as The Snowy River mail and Tambo and Croajingolong gazette from 1890 to 1911. The Gippsland Courier merged with the Snowy River Mail when proprietor Lachlan Ross moved to Orbost in 1910. In 1999 the paper was acquired by the Yeates family when the Hollins family retired from the newspapers business. The paper is still being produced by the fourth generation of the Yeates family as part of East Gippsland Newspapers. The flood in 1950 was a significant Orbost event. This newspaper is a contemporary record of a significant local events.A Snowy River Mail newspaper dated 15,.2.1950. It contains news articles and advertisements in black/white print. There is an artcle about the Orbost floods.newspaper snowy-river-mail flood-1950-orbost