Gloucester's 1978 flood and 2021 flood compared

Although these two major events weren't quite the scale of the infamous February 9, 1929 flood that saw Church Street fully inundated to around four feet deep with flood waters, both caused a fair bit of damage.

According to the former Gloucester Shire Council's Gloucester and Avon Rivers Flood Study, completed in April 2015 by BMT WBM, the 1929 flood is the largest recorded since records began 156 years ago. As gauging of water levels has only been in play since 1952, how high the river rose is only an educated guess. But based on the photographs, it was well and truly higher than anything since.

The flood study indicates that since 1952, there have been several notable flood events. There were three large events in the 1950s, with the largest being in March 1956, and several in the 1970s, with the 1978 flood taking the record.

"After a relatively flood-free period throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the 21st century has seen a number of notable flood events, the most significant of which occurred in (July) 2011," the study states.

Based on gauged levels at Lehmans Flat Bridge, just north of Gloucester township, the study indicates that the 1956 flood was the highest (since gauged records began) with flood waters covering Church Street. However, the 1978 flood caused more damage.

"General local opinion places this flood on the Barrington, Little Manning, Cobark and Dilgry Rivers as higher than the 1929 flood. Several bridges were washed away or severely damaged. In the township of Gloucester, many businesses were again inundated with significant associated damage and loss of stock," the study states.

Many factors can impact how an area floods. It can be anything from where the rains fall to how landscapes have been altered.

When comparing the 1978 flood to the 2021 flood, it may be best to look at two businesses that stood in the path of flood waters during both events.

Hebby's Bakery may be most notable due to the historical photos captured at the time. Current owner, Colin Hebblewhite had not long taken over ownership of the bakery with this brother Vic, after their father had died. Colin was 18 years old at the time of the flood.

"It came up in the middle of the night. Around 3am, I think," Colin recalled. "We didn't have time to get the bread bags out of storage. It was already up by the time I got the phone call."

The bakery stores its bread bags under the loading dock which leads into the baking area of the business. The dock backs onto Billabong Lane which is part of the floodplain where the Gloucester River escapes to after breaking its banks south of town. According to Colin, the flood water had risen up to just below the main floor of the bakery.

And it wasn't just the bread bags that had been left at the bakery. The trusty old Holden delivery panel van was also parked out back.

"The water was up to the steering wheel. Then it started to float, so we tied some ropes to it and floated around to Denison Street to get it onto dry land," Colin said.

They managed to get the car out of the water and onto Denison Street, where they left it to dry out. "It started the next morning after the first kick," he smiled.

After the 1978 flood, works were undertaken to adjust the way the water flowed and Colin believed the changes were designed to divert flood waters away from the businesses. So when he was told of the flood warning this time around, he made sure to move most of the bread bags out of storage, thinking the water would get that high. Unfortunately, the water rose higher, coming about 10 metres onto the baking floor and destroying the two to three hundred thousand bread bags that weren't moved.

Another difference Colin noticed was how far up Denison Street the water came this time.

"It came up around the corner onto Church Street and covered the footpath. It didn't do that last time," Colin said.

The fast pace of the water also shifted the large gas bottles attached to the building, breaking the connection. The gas leak caused evacuation of the area until the SES could get the gas turned off.

Further down the lane, several businesses weren't so lucky. Campbell Engineering was also around during the 1978 flood. Although the current owners, Rosie and Mark Campbell, didn't own it at the time, it was still in the family, so they have been able to compare the water levels.

"It only came up to about four inches under the floor," Rosie explained about the 1978 flood.

This year was a different story, coming into the shop and rising up about a foot above the floor.

Mark reckons the landscape changes made in the floodplain have had a direct impact and he hopes that council will talk to the business owners and be ready to listen about what needs to be done to fix it.

For businesses located near the southern end of Billabong Lane, the water levels were much higher than in the past. Prior to the recent flood, there was a ford crossing on Hume Street which allowed the water to run openly. But now there is a bridge with a culvert underneath.

"The water was rushing against the glass railing and pushing out the sides. It had nowhere to go," Mark said.

The bridge ended up acting more like a dam, with the water picking up speed and intensity as it funneled up into Greg Forbes Automotive filling the shop up to about a metre high. The water pushed up Hume street to Church Street and rushed down Billabong Lane.

Because there had been so much rain already and the rain continued to fall heavy and continuously, the floodplain was saturated before the river broke its banks. There was a lot of water and it was moving fast on its way to meet back up with the Gloucester River north of town but it couldn't get there quick enough. It filled up Billabong car park and inundated Gloucester Hardware and the petrol station on Thunderbolts Way.

According to Mark, the gully at that end of town is simply too small to handle that volume of water.

MidCoast Council has recently been reviewing the flood risk management plans for the region. Gloucester's plan was on public exhibition until December 9, 2020 and outlines flood warning, property preparation and water flow management in major floods. The feedback goes back to the flood plan committee to be finalised before being presented to council for a vote.

According to council's director Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Robert Scott, there is no plan for council to reopen the plan up for community feedback. He believes it already covers areas of concern the public may have and once it is finalised, council will be able to seek funding support for any works needed.