More Info →Flooding in Chelwood Street

The flood of 1926 particularly affected the Takaro area of Palmerston North. The Mangaone and Kawau Streams overflowed and some houses were surrounded by 2-3 feet of water. Around 1927 the main flow of the Kawau stream was diverted into the Mangaone Stream to remove the need for the city’s storm water system to cope with large volumes of water originating from farmland north-east of the city. This scheme appears to be a direct result of the major flooding shown in this photograph.