Historical information

The Maribyrnong River flows through the former Shire of Keilor, Shire of Braybrook and the City of Sunshine and now the City of Brimbank.

The river has a long history of flooding including the following events;

1906 – The largest flood on record - Highest recorded flood level: 4.50 m at the Chifley Drive gauge. This remains the benchmark flood for the Maribyrnong catchment. This flood washed away the Arundel Road Keilor timber bridge during its construction.

1916 – Early 20th‑century flood - Less documented than 1906 but included in the official count of major events. Occurred during a period of widespread Victorian flooding.

1934 – The Great Melbourne Flood - Part of the catastrophic 1934 state‑wide floods. Maribyrnong catchment experienced severe riverine overflow. This event reshaped early flood‑mitigation thinking across Melbourne.

1974 – Widespread metropolitan flooding - Heavy rainfall across Melbourne caused significant rises in the Maribyrnong. Often referenced in Melbourne Water’s long‑term flood modelling.

1983 – Ash Wednesday period flooding - Occurred during the same climatic cycle as the Ash Wednesday bushfires. Intense rainfall caused rapid rises in the Maribyrnong River.

2011 – La Niña flood cycle - Part of the broader 2010–2011 La Niña flooding across Victoria. Maribyrnong experienced moderate–major riverine flooding.

2022 – The most significant modern flood - One of the worst urban floods in Melbourne in decades. Hundreds of homes inundated; major damage in Maribyrnong, Kensington, Ascot Vale. Triggered a parliamentary inquiry, major insurance issues, and debate over the Flemington Racecourse floodwall. Officially counted as the seventh major flood since 1906.

Significance

The Maribyrnong River 2022 flood was one of the most significant urban flood events in Melbourne in decades.

On 14 October 2022, after days of record‑breaking rain across Victoria, the Maribyrnong River breached its banks, inundating large parts of Keilor, Braybrook, Maribyrnong, Kensington, Ascot Vale, and surrounding suburbs.

Many houses and streets in Maribyrnong were flooded by the river including the Angler’s Tavern, Anglers Way, Maribyrnong which was inundated up to the second floor.

The flood also damaged many upstream locations including the flat lands of the Maribyrnong Valley, Brimbank Park and washing away part of the historical Arundel Road timber bridge in Keilor, the second time in its 116 year old history.

Physical description

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