APPENDIX B – Fire in southern Australia: a summary

 

This appendix summarises the major fire events in New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory from December 1938 to December 2007.1

Date

Location

Impact Summary

NEW SOUTH WALES

December 1938 – January 1939

Dubbo, Lugarno, Snowy Mountains, Canberra

Deaths: 13
People rendered homeless: 1,000
Buildings: many houses
2
Livestock: 10,000
Area burnt: 73,000 hectares
3

November 1951 – January 1952

Wagga Wagga and district, Pilliga

Deaths: 114
Area burnt: more than 4 million hectares5

December 1957 – 1958

Blue Mountains, Leura

Deaths: 46
Buildings: 170
Area burnt: more than 2 million hectares
7

September 1968 – January 1969

South Coast

Deaths: 14
People rendered homeless: 600
Buildings: more than 200
Area burnt: more than 2 million hectares
8

December 1974 – January 1975

Bourke to Balranald, Cobar Shire, Moolah–Corinya—most of the Western Division

Deaths: 39
Buildings: 50
Livestock: 50,000
Fencing: 10,170 kilometres
Area burnt: 4.5 million hectares
10

December 1979 – February 1980

Mudgee, Warringah and Sutherland Shires, Goulburn, South Coast

Deaths: 511
People rendered homeless: 50
Buildings: 14
Area burnt: more than 1 million hectares

1984 – 1985

Western Division

Deaths: 412
Livestock: 40,000
Area burnt: 3.5 million hectares

July 2002 –
February 2003

81 local government areas in Greater Sydney, Hunter, North Coast, Northern Tablelands, North-west Slopes, North-west Plains, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, Illawarra, South Coast

Deaths: 213
Buildings: 86 houses14
Livestock: 3,40015
Area burnt: 1.464 million hectares16

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

1957 – January 1958

Mt Gambier

Deaths: 8
Area burnt: 1,370 hectares (pine plantation)

1974 – 1975

North-west of state

Deaths: Nil
Area burnt: 16 million hectares
17

February 1983 (including Ash Wednesday II)

Mt Osmond, Mt Gambier, South Barwon

Deaths: 28
Buildings: 333
Livestock: 250,000
Fencing: more than 10,000 kilometres
Area burnt: more than 260,000 hectares

January 2005

Eyre Peninsula, Adelaide Hills

Deaths: 9
Buildings: 337
18
Livestock: 47,000
Fencing: 6,304 kilometres
19
Area burnt: more than 145,000 hectares

December 2007

Kangaroo Island

Deaths: 1
Area burnt: 95,000 hectares

TASMANIA

December 1966 – February 1967 (including Black Tuesday 7 February 1967)

South-east, Hobart

Deaths: 62
People rendered homeless: 7,000
Buildings: approx. 4,000
Livestock: 60,000 sheep; 1,350 cattle;
600 pigs; 500 horses; 24,000 chickens
Fencing: 5,400 kilometres
Area burnt: 270,000 hectares
20

February 1982

Launceston, Hobart, Broadmarsh

Deaths: 1
Buildings: 46
Livestock: 3,000
Area burnt: more than 40,000 hectares
21

November 2002 –
March 2003

Including Flinders Island,
northern fringe of Hobart

Deaths: Nil
Buildings: 13
Livestock: several hundred
22
Area burnt: 52,000 hectares23

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

January 1961 –
March 1961

Dwellingup and south-west of state

Deaths: Nil
Buildings: 160
Area burnt: 1.8 million hectares

1 April 1978

South-west of state

Deaths: 2
Buildings: 6
Livestock: 2,500
Area burnt: 31,500 hectares

15 December 1997

Perth and south-west of state

Deaths: 2
Buildings: 15
Livestock: over 10,000
Area burnt: 22,450 hectares

December 2007 – January 2008

Boorabbin National Park

Deaths: 3
Area burnt: 29,000 hectares

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

November 1938 – January 1939

Uriarra, Mt Franklin, Tidbinbilla, Cuppacumbalong, Booroomba, Lanyon

Deaths: 1
Livestock: 2,000
Fencing: 545 kilometres
24
Area burnt: 30% of territory

December 1951 – February 1952

Molongolo valley, Mt Stromlo, Red Hill, Woden Valley, Tuggeranong, Mugga Hill

Deaths: 3
Buildings: 42
25
Livestock: 10,000
Fencing: several hundred kilometres
Area burnt: 10,000 hectares
26

March 1985

Mugga Lane, Red Hill, Mount Majura, Tharwa, Symonstown, Googong–Queanbeyan area

Deaths: 1
Livestock: 7,000
27
Area burnt: 10,000 hectares28

January 2003

Namadgi National Park, Uriarra, Pierces Creek and Stromlo settlements, Cotter, Corin, Tidbinbilla,
Mt Stromlo, Duffy, Holder, Chapman, Kambah, Curtin, Lyons, Murrumbidgee valley, Coppins Crossing

Deaths: 4
Buildings: 581
Livestock: 4,185
Area burnt: approx. 160,000 hectares

 

 

1       Unless otherwise indicated all statistics in this appendix are drawn from Exhibit 726 – Emergency Management Australia Disasters Database.
See all at RSCH.041.001.0001

2       Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2336

3       Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2336

4       Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2336

5       Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2336

6       The National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management recorded five deaths as a result of these fires: Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2336

7       Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2336

8       Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2336

9       The National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management recorded six deaths as a result of these fires: Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

10     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

11     The National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management recorded 13 deaths as a result of these fires: Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

12     The National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management recorded five deaths as a result of these fires: Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

13     The National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management recorded three deaths as a result of these fires: Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

14     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

15     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

16     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

17     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2340

18     Exhibit 726 – South Australian Country Fire Service – Bushfire History (RSCH.030.001.0388) at 0390

19     Exhibit 726 – South Australian Country Fire Service – Bushfire History (RSCH.030.001.0388) at 0390

20     Exhibit 726 – NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service – Bushfires – Briefing Paper No 5/02 (RSCH.016.001.1136) at 1145

21     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2340

22     Exhibit 160 – A Nation Charred: Report on the Inquiry into Bushfires (EXH.160.0001) at 0365

23     Exhibit 160 – A Nation Charred: Report on the Inquiry into Bushfires (EXH.160.0001) at 0365

24     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

25     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

26     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2337

27     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2338

28     Exhibit 726 – National Inquiry on Bushfire Mitigation and Management (RSCH.004.003.1961) at 2338


 

 

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