Norman Creek in East Brisbane/Norman Park has claimed a lot of lives over the years
I was researching my local area on trove, and found several articles reporting on drowning deaths in the creek.
19 Dec 1887, F. Field, about 10
1890, Charles H. Ede, 11½
13 Nov 1890, George Lewis, unknown age
13 Nov 1890, Robert Lowis, unknown age
29 Jan 1892, Minnie Robertson, child
Jan 1893, Nellie Wilkie, unknown age
18 Oct 1893, Reginald David Sargent, 14
18 Dec 1894, Charles Uriah Stewart, child
4 Jan 1905, unnamed boy, unknown age
26 Dec 1906, unnamed victim, unknown age
7 Nov 1927, unnamed elderly man, elderly
21 Dec 1928, Robert W. Chalmers, unknown age
25 Oct 1931, Rowland Charles Hall, unknown age
Apr 1932, Albert Henry August Bleck/Blook, 47
17 Dec 1940, Alan Nicholson, 15
24 Feb 1943, Charles William Chudleigh, 6
10 Jan 1959, unnamed man, unknown age
The water looks deceivingly flat and calm at times, but the current can be incredibly strong.
Were people not aware? I suppose a lot of those 'free range' unsupervised children would have been more likely to take risks.