seniors.gov.au - Natural Disasters

Natural Disasters

The true character of the Australian people has often been revealed in times of darkest crisis. It is when our communities have faced incredible hardship that the Australian people have banded together. Be it drought, flood, bushfire, cyclone, or earthquake, the harshness of the Australian environment has provided plenty of challenges to the Australian people.

For the months of September, October and November, Living History is exploring the environmental extremes that have brought communities to their knees, but have proven that we can rebuild, renew, and be stronger than before, when we work together.

Significant dates in Australian history:

25 December 1974 - In the early hours of Christmas Day the city of Darwin is devastated by Cyclone Tracy. Nearly every building in the city is destroyed, largely due to the loose construction of buildings at that time. 65 lives were lost in the city and at sea.
16 February 1983 - Approximately 180 bushfires break out across Victoria and South Australia after months of drought, claiming 75 lives and approximately 2,500 homes. The event becomes known as ‘Ash Wednesday’.
28 December 1989 - Newcastle is shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter Scale. Many of the city’s historic buildings are destroyed, and 13 lives are lost in collapsed buildings.
30 July 1997 - Australia’s premier ski resort, Thredbo in New South Wales, is rocked by a landslide. Two ski lodges are destroyed by approximately 1, 000 tonnes of moving earth, rock and trees. 18 bodies were retrieved with only one person surviving.
20 March 2006 - North Queensland (in particular the townships of Innisfail, Babinda and Silkwood) are hit by Tropical Cyclone Larry. Approximately 50 percent of homes in Innisfail are damaged and extensive damage to local crops was also reported.

Have you been affected by the harshness of the Australian environment? Can you recollect any of Australia’s wild events? Did they affect anyone you know? For the months of September, October and November send us your photos, stories and memories of Australia’s environmental extremes, and help build our Living History of Natural disasters.

More Information

Want more information on this topic? Check out the following links!

Culture and Recreation Portal – Natural Disasters in Australia

Emergency Management Australia – Disasters Database

Contributions

Contribution Title		Date Posted
So Close		3/10/2006
Cyclones		10/08/2006
Summer Storms		10/08/2006