LOOKING BACK: Braving the flood that inundated CBD

Ten years ago, Maryborough streets were filled with water and mud as the city reeled from one of its worst floods in decades.

More than 20 Maryborough businesses were inundated with muddy water, and people were left stranded in their homes.

After more than 600mm of rain had filled most of the Mary River catchment between December 2010 and early January, the Mary River finally peaked at 8.2m on January 9.

Over the next two days, 26 businesses were inundated, with losses totalling $4.5 million with a further $12 million in damages to Fraser Coast Regional Council infrastructure.

The Lamington and Granville bridges were closed, limiting access to the Bruce Hwy.

By the second day of the floods, The Pocket in Maryborough was also isolated.

Melissa White from Earles Paint Place in Adelaide St said she remembered how quickly her team had to work to move the entire store’s paint supply to higher ground, in a race against rapidly rising waters.

“It was a quick one too as I remember, there wasn’t a lot of warning and I wasn’t able to get in again (after the floor was cleared), I remember I wasn’t able to get into the shop because it was so quick, I was stuck at home,” Ms White said.

“We pulled all the stock up and had it already and then we had to pull it all down after that.”

Maryborough faced flooding in 2012 and then again when ex-tropical cyclone Oswald hit the region in 2013.

That devastating flood hit Maryborough on Australia Day, 2013, with water levels reaching more than 10 metres.

More than 60 CBD businesses were hit and $15m in damage caused to council infrastructure.