Sydneysiders will get a look at the devastation of Lismore's February 28 2022 flood during August when a brand new exhibition, Inundated, will be displayed at the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour.

Inundated explores the harrowing impacts of the 2022 floods in Lismore and the Northern Rivers region, told through the lens of Northern Rivers photographer Natalie Grono.

Recently acquired by the Australian National Maritime Museum for the National Maritime Collection, Grono’s images document the aftermath of the historic eastern Australian floods in February-March 2022 and depict the challenges left behind once the waters receded.

The exhibition features a series of 16 images (including the award-winning Peter takes a moment which secured Grono the Nikon-Walkley Photo of the Year Award in 2022), which highlight the destruction caused by the 14.4-metre flood event while also acknowledging the resilience of local people overcoming adversity together.

The exhibition is especially significant as the Australian climate continues to change and floods are becoming more prevalent worldwide, with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology warning in 2018 that heavy rainfall is expected to become more intense with each degree of global warming. 

Inundated provides a rarely seen perspective, not only of the aftermath, but of the extreme flood levels reached in this tragic event and allow visitors to better understand the severity of this natural disaster. 

Australian National Maritime Museum curator Roland Leikauf has said, ‘These photographs depict the reality faced by residents in the receding floodwaters and capture both the desperation of the situation and the weary resilience of community members during one of Australia’s most destructive and displacing floods. The photographs are a fitting inclusion in the National Maritime Collection documenting our relationship with the waters around us.’

Natalie Grono has said, ‘It is crucial to make these images publicly accessible to showcase one of Australia’s most devastating floods. 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.’

(Natalie Grono. Photo: supplied) 

This free exhibition will open on August 1 in the Tasman Light Gallery at the Australian National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour in Sydney.

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

As locals, we hope people outside of the region will understand the rebuild is ongoing, and life is nowhere near normal.