In this chapter of the virtual exhibition “Drought, Mud, Filth, and Flood: Water Crises in Australian Cities, 1880s–2010s,” the authors show how the development of Brisbane, Queensland, on a floodplain rendered the city vulnerable to flood events. Although engineering measures have mitigated floods, this overview highlights the enduring belief in urban “flood-proofing” alongside evidence that it cannot ever be achieved in this context.