Damage
Large areas were inundated, with at least 6,700 homes flooded. Buildings in the Brisbane central business district were particularly hard hit. Damage at the time was estimated at some $200 million. The 67,320 tonne Robert Miller unmoored at Kangaroo Point and became adrift in the river. Two tugs were needed to control the 15 m high and 239 m long oil tanker. The Robert Miller was the largest ship ever built in Australia at the time. A barge was sunk after becoming caught under and damaging the Centenary Bridge. The most flood affected suburb of Brisbane was Rocklea.
In Ipswich 1,800 premises were affected by flooding. The total damage in Brisbane and the surrounding areas was estimated at over A$200 million (1974 values). While not as high as the floods in the 1800s this flood is considered to have been worse due to Brisbane's rapidly increasing population at the time.
Many houses were also damaged by land subsidence and land slippage associated with the flooding and high rainfall.
Read more about this topic: 1974 Brisbane Flood
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