River Murray Recovery Stories
John Milham
John's childhood floods taught him that communities discover their own strength through breaking, and that discovery matters as much as survival.
You don't have to be in crisis to call.
John Milham grew up in rural New South Wales between the ages of seven and twelve, living through four floods in seven years in a cotton-producing town called Wee. Unlike sudden downpours, these floods arrived slowly and predictably: water would travel down the river system from Queensland and northern New South Wales, giving families weeks of warning to prepare. John's parents owned the Royal Hotel, which became a shelter during the first flood, filling with families seeking safety. The real dangers were not the water alone but what came with it: eastern brown snakes, death adders, and red-bellied black snakes that swam alongside people during evacuation, as well as debris and drains that could trap and kill.
Fifty years later, John helped record stories from people affected by the 2024 Hunter Valley floods, where rapid water caught communities by surprise and left them without local flood history to guide their response. This work led him to the River Murray region, where the 2022 and 2023 floods unfolded over eight months as water slowly crept up homes, businesses, and farmland. The contrast struck John deeply: the Hunter Valley flooded in two and a half days, leaving people shocked; the River Murray rose inch by inch for months, letting people watch their lives gradually disappear. He was also struck by the landscape itself, the sheer scale and beauty of the river cutting through dry farming country.
What emerged from his conversations with River Murray residents was something unexpected. Communities that had lost their flood stories and local knowledge paid a price when predictions from authorities proved wrong. Meanwhile, experienced river workers known as lock masters predicted the floods more accurately than official forecasts. John discovered that people who had left the region for school or work kept returning, all answering with the same wistful smile when asked if they loved living there. Their answer was always yes. Through recording these stories, John found that the gold in the fracture is not survival alone but the discovery of community strength, shared knowledge, and the bonds that hold places together.
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses grief & loss, which some listeners may find distressing.
If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au • GriefLine: 1300 845 745 · griefline.org.au
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