A River with a City Problem

'An engrossing account of the complex relationship between a river and the cities that grew up around it.' Nick Earls

When floods devastated South East Queensland in 2011, who was to blame? Despite the inherent risk of living on a floodplain, most residents had pinned their hopes on Wivenhoe Dam to protect them, and when it failed to do so, dam operators were blamed for the scale of the catastrophic events that followed.

A River with a City Problem is a compelling history of floods in the Brisbane River catchment, especially those in 1893, 1974, 2011 and 2022. Extensively researched, it highlights the force of nature, the vagaries of politics and the power of community. With many river cities facing urban development challenges, Cook makes a convincing argument for what must change to prevent further tragedy.

In this updated edition, historian Margaret Cook investigates the 2022 floods to illustrate how no two floods are the same.

About the Author

Margaret Cook holds a PhD in history from the University of Queensland. She is a member of the Professional Historians Association, has a significant body of work in environmental and social history and heritage conservation, and has worked in cultural tourism and the museum sector. Margaret is a former Deputy Chair of the Queensland Heritage Council and Vice President of the National Trust of Queensland and was inducted into the Ipswich Heritage Hall of Fame in 2015. She is currently a consultant historian and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Queensland and La Trobe University. Margaret lives in Ipswich with her husband and two sons.