Floods

Images, sounds, smells, and stories of the 1893, 1974, 2011, 2022 floods, and all the minor and moderate floods in-between, stand out in our collective consciousness as defining moments in the history of Ipswich.

The destructive power of the Bremer River and its tributary creeks is disguised by the usually slow moving, muddy brown waters, but do not be complacent: the photographs in this collection are a testament to the power of water and a reminder that it can happen again.

Ipswich is located on the floodplains of the Bremer and Brisbane Rivers.  The 100km Bremer River, which stretches from its source in the Scenic Rim, to the Junction where it joins with the Brisbane River, has a catchment area of 2,030km2.  The Bremer, in turn, is part of the larger Brisbane River catchment (13,570km2 in size), which also comes under the influence of tides from Moreton Bay. 

Bremer River floods at Ipswich over 19 metres include:

• 1841 - 23.5m
• March 1890 - 19m
• January 1893 - 24.5m
• February 1893 - 21.88m
• January 1974 - 20.70m
• January 2011 - 19.4m