5 September to 1 November 2003
The Yarra regularly burst its banks and Elizabeth Street became a raging torrent during heavy rains. Fire was also an ever-present danger and, in 1897, Melbourne's own 'Great Fire' destroyed the entire block between Swanston and Elizabeth streets, and Flinders Street and Flinders Lane.
Fire & Flood in the Heart of Melbourne displayed stunning images from the City of Melbourne's archives. These illustrated some of the most notorious disasters in Melbourne's history, and covered wood engravings made in 1880 to famed photographs of the 1972 flash flood.
Curated by Rachel Power
Rachel Power is a freelance writer living in Melbourne. She holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts from the Victorian College of the Arts, majoring in creative writing and art history. Her artwork was included in a group exhibition, Picture: the Process, at the George Paton Gallery in 2001.
She works as a court illustrator and graphic artist for Channel 9. In the past, she worked for the Canberra Times as an arts and feature writer. She is the author of The Art and Life of Alison Rehfisch (2002). Fire & Flood in the Heart of Melbourne is her first curatorial venture.