First and foremost there was sadness as survivors of the inland tsunami which hit 20 of the valley’s 23 communities on January 10, 2011, remembered those who perished.

The flash flood, resulting from heavy rain which hit the Toowoomba area, killed 22 people and another three remain missing. The heavy toll was evidence of how little warning residents had before disaster hit.

The strength shown by affected communities was also on display yesterday.

So many Queenslanders faced catastrophic damage to their homes and businesses, their ability to rebuild and carry on is an inspiration.

Many Australians can also look back and take pride in their response to the flood tragedy. Thousands of everyday Australians gave their time to help their neighbours and donated what they could to help the rebuilding effort while emergency crews moved swiftly to rescue survivors.

Queensland communities will bear the scars of the floods for some time to come.

What will always be remembered along with the grief and loss is the resilience and courage of flood victims to carry on.