South Australia remembers its largest flood after 70 years
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Riverland residents in South Australia recall the devastating 1956 flood, the largest in the state’s recorded history.
John Peterson, then an 18-year-old university student, returned to his hometown of Kingston on Murray to help fill sandbags and reinforce defenses against the rising water. His father, a resident since 1896, had never witnessed such a severe event. The flood delivered around 300,000 megalitres of water daily, far exceeding the usual flow, and damaged homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
Theo Kaesler, age eight at the time, grew up on a property that had been in his family for over five generations. He remembered picking oranges from a neighbour’s trees by rowboat as the floodwaters rose. A gum tree on his property, photographed during the flood, remains a landmark today, showing visitors the historic water levels.
Local historian Meredith Arnold explained that researchers analysed data from the 1956 flood, including sunspot activity, and predicted another major flood could arrive around the late 2030s. Both Arnold and Peterson emphasized the strong community spirit during the crisis, with returning war veterans providing leadership and neighbours supporting one another through the disaster. Peterson hopes this spirit of cooperation will continue for generations to come.
