In 1961, the heaviest November rain in Nowra since 1884, when the rain-fall was first recorded, fell in the first 19 days of the month.
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The Shoalhaven River was flooded, as were all the low lying areas in the vicinity. The shire's emergency centre was manned all Saturday and Sunday nights keeping a close eye on the position.
Residents were surprised to hear the fire siren wailing on Sunday evening, November 19 and many thought there must have been some mistake, but the call was genuine.
The pavilion at the Bomaderry Sports Oval was on fire and well alight when the fire brigade arrived.
The Dennis Ace had to be driven through two feet of water over Bolong Road to get close to the blaze. Then pumping from the surrounding flood waters, the firefighters floated their hose to the pavilion and had to stand in three feet of water to battle with the fire.
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The sight was certainly a weird one, when the crowd of onlookers saw the building blazing away in the middle of the flood waters and the firemen struggling to keep their feet in the swift running water.
The fire was soon extinguished, but not before much damage to the interior of the building. It was believed that a bag of slack lime stored inside was the cause of the blaze.
Information provided by the Shoalhaven Historical Society.
