'Water like an ocean wave': 70 years since SA's biggest flood event
Riverlanders look back on their experience of South Australia's biggest flood event on its 70th anniversary, including filling sandbags and rowing to and from school.
It's been 70 years since South Australia experienced its most devastating flood event. John Peterson, an 18-year-old university student in Kingston on Murray during the flood of 1956, recalls the immense impact of the water. On average, the floodwaters measured a staggering 300,000 megalitres per day, far exceeding the typical flow of around 10,000 megalitres.
Houses were destroyed and damaged, including the local garage, shop, and bank. Working bees were organized daily to assist in the cleanup efforts, with locals providing morning and afternoon tea for the work gangs. Photography was a hobby for Peterson, and he documented the chaos of the flood using his Eumig C3 8mm camera, capturing scenes in both black and white and vibrant color.
Theo Kaesler, now 78, remembers the flood from a young age, recalling the thrill of picking oranges off a neighbor's tree using a rowboat. The remnants of the 1956 flood still remain on Kaesler's property, such as a notable gum tree that survived the floods. Local historian Meredith Arnold emphasizes the importance of community support during such crises, noting that many veterans from WWII assisted in the flood recovery efforts.
Peterson and Arnold both stress the enduring sense of unity and kindness demonstrated by the Riverland community during the flood, hoping these values will be carried forward by future generations.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
