Devastating Lismore Floods Aftermath Captured in New Maritime Museum Exhibition

Australian National Maritime Museum

Opening this August at the Australian National Maritime Museum is a poignant new exhibition, Inundated, which delves into the devastating impacts of the 2022 foods in Lismore and the Northern Rivers region. The exhibition presents the harrowing aftermath through the lens of Northern Rivers photographer Natalie Grono.

Recently acquired by the Australian National Maritime Museum for the National Maritime

Collection, Grono’s powerful images document the historic eastern Australian foods of February-March 2022, highlighting the challenges faced by the community once the waters receded.

The exhibition features 16 compelling images, including the award-winning Peter Takes a Moment, which earned Grono the Nikon-Walkley Photo of the Year Award in 2022. These photographs not only depict the destruction wrought by the foods but also celebrate the resilience and solidarity of the local people as they work to overcome adversity together.

The Northern Rivers region of northern NSW has a long history of fooding, with record foods of 12.2 meters in 1954 and 1974. However, the 2022 foods reached an unprecedented 14.4 meters, far exceeding the 100-year food level.

This exhibition is particularly signifcant as the Australian climate continues to change, and foods become more frequent worldwide. The Australian Bureau of

Meteorology warned in 2018 that heavy rainfall is expected to become more intense with each degree of global warming.

Inundated provides a rare perspective on both the extreme food levels and the aftermath, allowing visitors to grasp the severity of this natural disaster.

Australian National Maritime Museum curator Roland Leikauf remarked, “These photographs depict the reality faced by residents in the receding foodwaters and capture both the desperation of the situation and the weary resilience of community members during one of Australia’s most destructive and displacing foods.

The photographs are a ftting inclusion in the National Maritime Collection documenting our relationship with the waters around us.”

Natalie Grono emphasized the importance of making these images publicly accessible, stating, “It is crucial to make these images publicly accessible to showcase one of Australia’s most devastating foods. They clearly illustrate the magnitude and impact of the event, making the issues more tangible and accessible for everyone. Additionally, they highlight the wider environmental challenges which affect us all.”

This free exhibition opened on August 1 in the Tasman Light Gallery at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

For more information on the exhibition, please visit: Inundated - Australian National Maritime Museum.