31/05/2026
A Study of 1958’s “Cyclone Anonymous”
“George Burgher’s Story of the Aftermath of the 1958 Cyclone “Anonymous” and how Bowen was Re-built”
Written by George Burgher
🌀Part 2:
Some Observations 👀
Here I will record my observations after a lifetime of being interested and being involved because of my vocation in life on the sea and in building construction. In spite of the evidence before their eyes, I have heard people expound the theory that the strength of the wind is less near the top of a hill. No doubt those people have attended demonstrations of wind being blown 💨on to objects where it is free to disperse above and at either side. A hurricane 🌀is quite different because of its height and widespread nature.
It actually compresses when passing over a hill or is trapped between two objects. In such circumstances I have felt the pressure in my ears. The wind of a hurricane is such a large volume that, where ever it has to deviate because of an obstruction, it adds to the pressure around the sides and the top of that a
obstruction and so becomes more damaging.
Mt Gordon ⛰️is on the south west side of the town, and I look on to it when looking out from the back of the house. Before the 58 cyclone it was covered with trees 🌳, the morning after, from about two-thirds up the slope to the top of the hill, it appeared as if no trees had ever been there. It was completely bare ❌. Now after 26 years the trees once more cover that hill.
[For context here - George wrote these accounts straight after the “blow” but didn’t offer them up for the newspaper until 26 years after the cyclone. He was concerned that this account of cyclone anonymous was too much of “him” involved in it and that other people also had their stories to tell. He then decided to publish it if someone else, not having gone through a cyclone before, might find it useful information]
Freak Wind Gusts 😬💨
Another locality where the wind is likely to be more destructive is on flat ground behind a hill, the distance away depending on the height, steepness of the slopes, and the strength of the wind. A strong gusty wind passes over a hill and travels in a parabolic curve from the top of the hill to the flats behind it, sometimes hitting the surface at right angles from above. When this happens, the force of the wind is multiplied to the extent that it can be destructive to a far greater degree than in open spaces.
I have seen evidence of this both on land and on the sea. At Airlie Beach and Cannonvale after Cyclone Ada, some houses were torn apart,
while others, no more substantial, were intact. This area is very hilly and ideal for manufacturing wind bullets.
Engineers Wrong 😳
Another theory that seems to have crept into the teachings at some Colleges is lift.
There is such a thing in a hurricane, but not in the form expressed by some engineers. I have seen some ridiculous foundations specified to counter lift on buildings. During my observations after four major cyclones, I saw no evidence of even the smallest building being lifted. Portions of the buildings will be lifted such as flat roofs, ceilings, verandahs etc. But the building, as a whole, does not lift, because of the pressure surrounding it. If the structure as a unit moves, it invariably moves it parallel to the surface on which it is standing. I saw evidence of this many many times, and taking all the factors into consideration, this is quite easy to understand.
The Morning After ☀️
Getting back to the morning after the 58 cyclone, after looking at the Francis house and observing wrecks all over the town, which now could be seen quite plainly because the trees left standing had lost all their foliage, which allowed everything to stand out stark and clear. Next I looked from the back and realised that the scene had completely changed. The houses and other buildings were plainly in view. The Merinda Meatworks were clearly visible because the trees left standing were stripped bare, not a leaf left on any of them. In fact the devastation to the foliage was proof indeed that this had been a major blow which is usual with a small diameter cyclone.
Over 120 knot Wind 🌬️
This one was like an overgrown tornado.
The velocity of the wind was never correctly registered in this cyclone, because there was only one wind gauge in the area, and that was damaged by the wind before reaching its peak. A ship in the Harbour confirmed that it went over 120 knots. Neither Cyclone Ada or the Townsville cyclone, Althea, showed such devastation to the trees as did this un-named cyclone.
Hot Meal Welcome 🤗
When daylight was fully established, Mrs Kelly, our next door neighbour, kindly asked us in for breakfast. A hot meal at this time was very welcome indeed. The Kellys had a coke stove which was a wonderful asset at a time like this when power lines and poles were flat on the ground.
After a hot meal and a talk about damage, I decided to take the family for a run in the truck, which I managed to start in spite of a severe wetting and bashing from flying debris, to take Elizabeth's mind off our own troubles, by seeing other people's greater troubles, and to whet the boys' curiosity. For myself, to allay fears of what I might find.
Builder's Great Loss 🏠
I first drove to the Church of England, saw in passing that the Presbyterian Church Hall was flattened, and now, also saw that the Church of England Hall was down. The day before I had put six tons of cement in it. It had
1½ tons before, plus other materials, which was now a write off. I saw too that the steelwork on the new hall which I was building was badly twisted which would add to the cost of other losses on the job.
I then drove out to Queensbeach to see how Dr Peter Delamothe's house had fared (another of my contracts) and on the way met the doctor and Mrs Delamothe, who were on their way back from having a look. We pulled up and had a talk. He mentioned that I would have plenty of work now. I said “yes, but a large working bee would have to be organised, because the situation was too urgent for the local builders and their teams to get roofs over people's heads in the short time that was necessary." They drove off and we carried on to the house. When we arrived I saw that the house was intact, but the C and E roofing which had been stacked out the front had gone.
Incredible 😮
This house and the Church Hall both had Deep Six fibro roofing. Both had arrived at the Goods Station at the same time and the carriers had left them at the Doctor's house.
We had fixed the roofing on the house and left the Church Hall roofing stacked flat on the ground, in two stacks. It seemed incredible, but the wind must have lifted these heavy wet Deep Six Sheets, closely stacked, one at a time and bashed them against the front wall of the house, with the result that hardwood chamferboard sheeting on the walls looked as if a team of men had attacked it with chisels, which meant that the wall would have to be removed and replaced, because the contract stated that the house had to be handed over in good order and condition according to the plans and specification. Structurally the house was intact, although three partitions were yet to be built, because they were to be formed by built-in furnishings, which separate tenders were called for. I received notification, that my tender for the work had been accepted, only the morning before the Cyclone. There was also some water damage which would have to be rectified.
Part 3 coming soon.
Note: please keep in mind this was published almost 40 years ago
