If you want to grasp the power and might of Mother Nature, the site of the flood marker at the Macrossan Bridge across the Burdekin River is where you'll be confronted with that in spades.
Originally instigated by late local historian Fred Bagnall, it had fallen into disrepair but a new marker has now been installed by the Charters Towers Regional Council.
Described as showcasing the history of the mighty Burdekin River, the new fibre-reinforced plastic marker towers 8.5m in the air, dwarfing viewers on the ground.
It's only when one takes into account that viewers and the marker are already 13.5m above the bed of the river does the huge volume of water that the river struggles to contain at times become apparent.
The aluminium signs marking the heights of floods that have surged out of the banks since 1870 tell a story too, including the three separate 1974 markers - that's three separate flood peaks that year.
The highest recorded flood in the river was in 1946, when it surged to an incredible 21.8 metres.
The next highest flood recorded was in 1870, coming to 20.7m.
Councillor Graham Lohmann, whose portfolio includes community facilities, said the construction of the new flood marker will enrich the history of Charters Towers and surrounding townships.
"The sign displays river heights from as early as 1870 to the most recent 2019 flood," he said. "To be able to put into perspective the intensity of these floods is incredible."
He said the marker would certainly attract tourists to the region.
"Although travellers may not understand just how catastrophic these events were to our community, it is an amazing asset to have."
Anticipating the future, the marker has been fabricated to allow for easy updates of new flood heights.
Cr Lohmann congratulated his council's operations team for their dedication to the project and thanked them for providing the region with a significant piece of history.
The Charters Towers Visitor Information Centre website provides more information about the Macrossan Bridge Flood Marker and other attractions in the region.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
