Between 27 and 29 December 1916 a severe cyclone tore through the Whitsunday Passage to cross the coast between Bowen and Mackay bringing devastating cyclonic floods in its wake. Most of the township of Clermont was washed away and 63 people were drowned out of an entire population of 1,500. After the flood, buildings in the business section of the town were moved to higher ground. This was accomplished with the aid of tractor power and large rolling logs (tree trunks). The government enacted special legislation, the Clermont Flood Relief Act 1917, to enable the town to re-establish at the new site. The Clermont Flood is undoubtedly an unprecedented disaster in terms of the loss of life but it is also a testament to an unbroken human spirit and determination in the face of overwhelming calamity.