Ninety years ago, devastating floods swept across the northern part of Tasmania.
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The residents of Launceston waited nervously as water came crashing down the North and South Esk rivers.
At 1.30am on Saturday April 6, 1929 the town clock tolled and the fire bell clanged signalling the breaking of the flood waters over the banks of the Tamar River. The lights went out, the gas supply failed, and the city became isolated.
Residents brought drays, cars, lorries and boats to rescue people from their homes in the low-lying suburbs.
Strangers, friends and family billeted the homeless, but many were initially housed at schools in Invermay and Mowbray, at the Retreat Hotel, in rooms under the Racecourse grandstand and at the Albert Hall.
By Sunday afternoon the Albert Hall, without heating, lighting or sanitary conveniences, became the centre for the receipt and issue of clothing, blankets, food and equipment of all kinds under the leadership of Mrs Robson.
Church halls became a place of refuge instead. Meals were served at long tables covered with white cloths and decorated with vases of flowers.
Committee rooms and Sunday school classrooms became bedrooms. Bathing was undertaken at the Baby Clinic or at the Victoria Baths in Paterson Street.
Each hall had a doctor assigned to it and by Wednesday April 10, The Examiner wrote that "for the time being everybody is clean, well fed, and comfortable."
New arrangements for longer-term accommodation led to the establishment of the Elphin Concentration Depot at the showgrounds.
On Saturday April 27, three weeks after the floods came, 243 refugees moved into the depot. On Sunday the commandant, Mr Clyde Elliott, held a visitors' day.
The refugees were reported to be comfortable and happy in their clean, cheerful and novel surroundings.
The Industrial Hall accommodated 27 families while the produce hall was home for single women, and boys over 12 slept in the Government Hall.
Single unemployed men were still housed at the YMCA in Brisbane Street and a shed erected by Salisbury and Hart served as a central kitchen.
Over the next two months the number of refugees at the depot dwindled.
To mark its closing a crowd of evacuees enjoyed a farewell concert in the cleared Industrial Hall and in his speech Mayor RM Osborne referred to "the fortitude of the people ... and the wonderful response to the appeal for funds."
The last refugees left on June 21, 1929 allowing time to prepare for the agricultural show in October.
