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1974 Storms

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Collection SummaryIn the winter of 1974 the Sutherland Shire experienced the worst storms in our history, resulting in extensive damage throughout the Shire, in particular on and around our beaches.DescriptionOn Saturday night, 25 May 1974, two intense low pressure systems combined to form a brutal storm that brought torrential rain, cyclonic strength winds and extremely large seas with high tides along the coast. The damage wreaked was unprecedented. Trees fell on power lines, roofs were ripped from houses and raging seas scoured the beaches of sand, revealing nothing but rocks below 20ft high cliffs. Cronulla beach was left with no sand; waves washed over the promenade and into the surf club. North Cronulla was devastated with a playground being washed into the sea. Wanda beach was scoured to the fence line, which was over 300 metres from the water line the previous summer. Further north, the waves tore into the dunes and threatened to break through to Woolooware Bay. In the normally calm waters of Port Hacking and Kurnell numerous jetties were damaged and boats were washed from their moorings and smashed onto rocks. Council's efforts to repair the beachfront by tipping sandstone boulders at the bottom of the Kingsway, along the Promenade at Cronulla, and below Prince Street were thwarted by further storms into June. While the Sutherland Shire has experienced some terrible storms, both before and after, the 1974 storm damage was possibly the worst we've ever seen.

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Bulldozers in Dunningham Park, waiting to assist with the storm damage at North Cronulla Beach, 1974

Storm damage at Cronulla Beach, 1974

Storm damage at North Cronulla Beach, 1974

North Cronulla Beach after damage, 27 May, 1974

The Esplanade, Cronulla, after damage, 27 May, 1974

Elouera Beach after damage, 27 May, 1974

North Cronulla Beach after damage, 27 May, 1974

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[Booklet] Stabilisation of Sand Dunes at Cronulla

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LocationCronullaNorth Cronulla BeachDate27th May 1974

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SubjectsCronulla (N.S.W.) -- History -- 1972-1975Beach erosion -- New South Wales -- Cronulla