New South Wales, February 1860

Nowra Flood

Quick Statistics

16 Fatalities

During mid February 1860 severe storms caused heavy rainfall. Nowra, which was built on a low-lying area located near the Shoalhaven River, flooded and 16 people drowned.
The severity of the floods caused deaths and great damage and led to the rebuilding of Nowra as it was originally located in a low-lying area near the Shoalhaven River. The village of Terara was also abandoned and its residents moved to the relocated Nowra. 


Information sources

Empire, ‘ The late floods’, 18 February 1860, p 5, viewed on Trove website (ID 64097566), 19 July  2011
Ministry for Police and Emergency Services, 1860 Terara/Nowra flood, 18 September 2007, website viewed 18 July 2011
The Sydney Morning Herald, ‘The late floods in the southern district’, 13 March 1860, p 9, viewed on Trove (ID  28629401), 19 July 2011