Cyclones, floods, earthquake and bushfires make us realise what a fragile edifice our civilisation is. The phrase 'safe as houses' loses all meaning as buildings large and small crumble under the natural elements.
Australia has had more than her fair share of natural disasters, including:
- The cyclone of 1899 which swept across the pearling fleet off Bathurst Bay, Queensland, wrecking 54 vessels - and resulting in the loss of 300 lives.
- The torrential rains of 1852, in which the Murrumbidgee River flooded the New South Wales township of Gundagai.
- Cyclone Tracy, which struck on Christmas Day 1974, causing $400 million damage.
- The disastrous Ash Wednesday bushfires that swept through parts of Victoria and South Australia in 1983 killing 72 people, including three fire officers and 12 volunteer firefighters.
Modern science helps to predict some of these disasters - sometimes giving us precious hours to evacuate townships or marshall resources. But in the end disaster strikes - and it all comes down to the courage and determination of the average Australian. These stories of heroism and suffering make stirring reading.
