damage

1885, Apr 2:- The Electric Telegraph Station at Geraldton was opened. Mr. D. Campbell was the Postmaster of the Post and Telegraph Office at the time and received £30 p.a. for his duties. Apr 7:- The Telegraph Line from Cardwell to Johnstone River was finally completed and handed over to the government. The Line followed along the route of the cattle and horse track of Scheu and Stamp. 1886, 14 private boxes were installed at the Geraldton Post Office, however, due to the decline in the need for this service by 1890 only 9 lock boxes were in service. 1906, Jan 28:- Severe Cyclone which crossed the coast near Cairns, devastated Geraldton (Innisfail), destroying buildings and crops. 1910, Jan:- Tenders were called for the construction of a new Post Office on a new site of the corner of Edith and Rankin Streets. J. G. Corbett's tender for £1327, being the lowest, was accepted. May 18:- "Geraldton" was changed to "Innisfail" 1911, Feb:- The New Innisfail Post Office was finally completed. Source: www.users.on.net/~davidcleslie/innisfail/innichron.htm

Floods events occur on average from no floods to three per year between December and March.[17] Heavy flooding occurred in 1875 with the Dawson, Fitzroy, Mary and Burdekin Rivers rising up to 60 feet (18 m) in a few hours. The waters washed away dwellings, fencing and livestock[21] and effects downstream included the loss of the steamer SS Gothenburg which was unable to steer effectively and ran aground on a reef at the entrance of Flinders Channel.[22] The Burdekin River is a river located in North and Far North Queensland, Australia. The river rises on the northern slopes of Boulder Mountain at Valley of Lagoons, part of the western slope of the Seaview Range, and flows into the Coral Sea at Upstart Bay over 200 kilometres (124 mi) to the southeast of the source, with a catchment area of approximately 130,000 square kilometres (50,000 sq mi).[2] The Burdekin River is Australia's largest river by (peak) discharge volume.[3]: 5  The river was first encountered by Europeans during the expedition led by Ludwig Leichhardt in 1845 and named in honour of Thomas Burdekin, one of the sponsors of the expedition. In 1917 more severe flooding occurred with the bridge at Inkerman under 11 feet (3 m) of water and the one at Ayr over 14 feet (4 m) underwater after a day of flooding.[23] Approximately one third of the Inkerman Bridge was later washed away by the floodwaters.[24] Further flooding occurred in 1927 with waters running nearly 6 feet (2 m) over the Inkerman Bridge and 3 feet (1 m) over the Burdekin Bridge,[25] the river reached its peak at 66 feet (20 m) above summer levels at Sellheim.[26] During the 1974 flood event associated with Cyclone Wanda, which lasted from 17 December 1973 to 23 April 1974, an estimated mass discharge peak of 25,000 tonnes (25,000 long tons; 28,000 short tons) of water per second was reached, which affected 450 kilometres (280 mi) of coastline and created a plume with widths ranging from 25 to 100 kilometres (16 to 62 mi).[17] Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burdekin_River

WINTON HOSPITAL. MAIN BUILDING DESTROYED. WINTON, June 16. About half-past two o'clock the afternoon the alarm was given that the Winton Hospital was on fire. Before the Fire Brigade arrived on the scene efforts were made with buckets and a small hose to combat the flames. The fire made its way above the ceiling and quickly spread throughout the main building. The watermains only reach the edge of the Hospital reserve at the top of Oondooroo- street, about 300 yards from the build- ing. After the delay, sufficient lengths of hose were coupled to reach the fire, but all efforts to save the building were fu- tile, although a good pressure was obtained and the Brigade worked strenuously. Attention was given to confining the fire and saving the nurses' quarters and isolating the Hospital. This was successfully done after the patients had been conveyed to safety. Almost all the furniture, fittings, drugs, and instruments were saved. There were about twenty patients in the Hospital, all of whom can be accommodated in the isolation ward. The fire originated in the kitchen. The property was insured with the State Insurance Company; the building for £48.000, the furniture and contents for £800, and the Delco lighting plant for £600. Source: Morning Bulletin, 19 Jun 1922 trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54021469