1839 – Yarra River: The first recorded flood caused by the Yarra River bursting its banks. Though the first European explorers noted evidence of previous floodwaters.

1860 – Yarra River: A deluge of rain, that continued unabated for almost 24 hours, hits the central business district of Melbourne, with water swamping Bourke Street, Collins Street, Elizabeth Street and Flinders Street.

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The 1923 flood kept Hawthorn residents on their toes ... and bikes. Photo: Fairfax archive

1863 – Yarra River: The Yarra River burst its banks again, with flooding the largest on record at the time.

1870 – Campaspe, Goulburn, Murray and Ovens Rivers: A year of floods for Victoria, impacting particularly on Echuca, Rochester, Shepparton, Wangaratta and Yarrawonga with some regions experiencing record-breaking flooding events.

Flooding on Morang Road, Hawthorn, in 1932. Photo: Age archive

1891: Referred to at the time as the "Great Flood": More than 3000 people were forced to abandon their homes. Lasting two days and two nights the flood predominantly effected people in Richmond, Collingwood and Prahran.

1906 – Maribyrnong River: The 1906 flood hit Footscray and Kensington hard and was among the largest on record with the Maribyrnong gauge measuring waters at 5.18 metres.

1909 – Avoca, Barwon, Hopkins, Loddon, Merri and Richardson Rivers: Many towns in western Victoria were severely impacted by this flood. The towns of Kyneton, Maryborough and Inglewood all recorded their highest ever monthly rainfall. Residents of Halls Gap and Stawell were evacuated and four deaths were recorded at Winchelsea.

1923 – Yarra River: Severe flooding hits large parts of Melbourne, including Hawthorn, Abbotsford, Belgrave and Fern Tree Gully. The deluge washes away bridges, rips up rail, and damage from landslides impacts the supply of water from the Yan Yean reservoir.

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The 1923 flood hits Hawthorn. Photo: Age archive

1934: Over 48 hours, more than 140mm of rain fell over Melbourne and 350mm fell in South Gippsland. More than 400 buildings were damaged, 6000 people made homeless and 36 people died. A single lake formed from South Yarra to Warrandyte.

1946 – Glenelg River: Referred to at the time as the "Big Flood", the Sandford and Casterton areas were hit with over 220mm of rain over four days. The Glenelg River at one point was rising at the rate of 300mm per hour.

Everyone needs a helping hand during storms and floods. Photo: Fairfax Archives

1972: Over a short period of time 75mm of rain pummels Melbourne, sending waves of water down Elizabeth St. Age photographer Neville Bowler is on the scene taking an iconic photo of the Melbourne deluge.

2010 - Victoria: Widespread floods hit Victoria. Heavy rains over five days hits many of the state's major rivers. A state of emergency is called, and crews from Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania arrive to help with the carnage.

2011 - Victoria: More severe than the 2010 flooding, over 51 communities in western and central Victoria are impacted. More than 1730 properties experience damage in one of Victoria's worst floods on record. Areas already experiencing major flooding were hit by follow-up rainfall events, including Tropical Low Yasi.

2016 – Avoca, Loddon and Wimmera Rivers: Towns throughout Western Victoria and along the Great Ocean Road are pummelled with heavy rainfall. The Great Ocean Road was closed after floods trigger more than 150 landslides and rockfalls. A farmer dies in the storm.