Black Thursday bushfires
The Black Thursday bushfires were a significant and devastating event in Victoria, Australia, occurring on February 6, 1851. These fires are noted for being the earliest recorded major bushfires in the region, consuming approximately 5 million hectares—about one-quarter of the then-colony of Victoria. The catastrophic fires destroyed numerous homes, farms, and communities, although the relatively sparse population at that time resulted in only twelve human fatalities. However, the impact on wildlife was severe, with an estimated one million sheep and thousands of other domesticated and native animals lost.
The fires were primarily fueled by a combination of drought conditions, high temperatures, and strong winds, exacerbated by poor land management practices introduced by European settlers. The day itself reached record temperatures of 43 degrees Celsius, and the intense fires created dramatic scenes, with accounts of animals burning and people seeking refuge from the flames. In the aftermath, affected communities began to rebuild, but the recovery process was long and costly, highlighting the profound impact of bushfires on both human life and the environment in Victoria. The Black Thursday bushfires are a pivotal chapter in the region's history, illustrating the challenges posed by Australia's unique bushland and climate.
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Black Thursday bushfires
The Black Thursday bushfires were the earliest recorded major bushfires in Victoria. The fires erupted on 6 February 1851 and burned 5 million hectares of land, about one-quarter of what was then the colony of Victoria. The fires destroyed numerous farms, homes, settlements, schools, businesses and other structures. Because the area was sparsely populated at the time, only twelve lives were lost. However the number of domesticated and wild animals killed was catastrophic. About one million sheep perished along with thousands of cattle and countless native animals, such as pigs, kangaroos and opossums.
Caused mainly by drought and extremely high temperatures, the Black Thursday bushfires ripped through the colony, completely devastating several areas. Some communities destroyed by the fires, such as the village of Kinlochewe, did not rebuild and disappeared forever. Other severe bushfires in Victoria include those on Ash Wednesday on 16 February 1983, and Black Saturday, 7 February 2009. Black Summer refers to the unusually intense bushfires that ravaged Australia for nine months in 2019 and 2020. Those fires destroyed 18.6 million hectares of land and nearly six thousand homes and buildings. Thirty-four people died along with countless wild and domesticated animals, including more than sixty thousand koalas.
Causes and Conditions
Victoria has had a long history of bushfires. They have occurred in the region for many years, long before the first European settlement in Portland Bay in 1834. Conditions such as high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds are common in the area and act as the perfect trigger for bushfires. These conditions, along with an extended drought, were largely responsible for the Black Thursday bushfires.
The years preceding Black Thursday were rainy, causing vegetation to grow significantly. Then, a drought began in 1850, drying out all plant life and creating fuel for the fires. Inappropriate land management by the European settlers was also a contributing factor to the bushfires. The Aboriginal peoples who had lived on the land for tens of thousands of years used fire-stick farming to eliminate dead vegetation. With this type of farming, fires are intentionally set to rid an area of dried-out plants and bark and foster the growth of new vegetation, which does not burn as easily.
Prior to 6 February 1851, bushfires were already burning in parts of Victoria, including on Plenty Ranges, which is north-east of Melbourne, and on Mount Macedon and in the Pyrenees. A ban on smoking was implemented on the road to Sydney to minimise the risk of starting new fires.
The day known as Black Thursday was the hottest day of the year, with temperature reaching 43 degrees Celsius. A strong north wind helped spread the already burning bushfires and start new ones. The eucalyptus trees of the region’s sclerophyll forests helped fuel the bushfires. The leaves on these trees contain a flammable gum-resin that keeps away small animals. The leaves become tough in dry weather, which makes them last longer on the forest floor. The eucalyptus gum-resin in the leaves burns intensely hot and can feed the bushfires and increase their intensity.
What started the first bushfire on Black Thursday remains uncertain. Many believe that some cattlemen driving steer started the first fire in Plenty Ranges when they left burning logs unattended. Others think that some of the fires may have been started by prospectors seeking gold. Prospectors had been searching for gold in Victoria since the 1840s, often burning dense vegetation to make it easier to find gold on the surface.
Fires and Impact
The morning of 6 February 1851 was oppressive with above average temperatures. A hot north wind was blowing so fiercely that it pushed thick smoke and cinders all the way to Tasmania and set parts of that island ablaze. At first, the fire headed toward Mt Ridley at Craigieburn but then changed course and only burned the lower part of the hill. Settlements in Mt Ridley were untouched while other settlements, such as the village of Kinlochewe, burned to the ground. Those who witnessed the fire described animals burning, birds dropping out of the sky and people plunging into bodies of water to escape the heat and flames. Others tried to outrun the flames along with cattle, horses, sheep, birds and snakes. A shepherd told of taking his flock of sheep to a creek to drink only to discover that the fire had jumped across it. Accounts from survivors described clouds of smoke that blocked the sun, flames leaping from tree to tree and air so thick with smoke and heat that it had the potential to singe people’s lungs.
The bushfires ran out of fuel during the night when they reached large patches of drought-parched grass. At this time, the wind changed and the temperature dropped. People woke to see the charred remains of forests, settlements, farms, bridges and millions of dead animals. One-quarter of the state of Victoria had been decimated by the Black Thursday bushfires. Twelve people died, among them a mother and her five young children. Affected areas included Plenty Ranges, Portland, Western Port, the Wimmera and Dandenong districts, Gippsland and Mount Macedon. The bushfires destroyed about 5 million hectares of land in the colony.
After the bushfires, a public community meeting was held in Geelong on 11 February 1851. Attendees discussed how to help people who had lost everything. Relief funds were raised and debts were forgiven. It took Victoria many years and a great deal of money to recover from the property loss and environmental devastation caused by the bushfires.
Bibliography
“Black Thursday.” Australian Institute in Disaster Resilience, knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/bushfire-black-thursday-1851/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.
“Black Thursday Bushfires.” National Museum Australia, 26 May 2020, www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/black-thursday-bushfires. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.
“Black Thursday Bushfires.” Environment and Society Portal, www.environmentandsociety.org/tools/keywords/black-thursday-bushfires. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.
“Bushfires in Victoria.” State Library Victoria, 2019, guides.slv.vic.gov.au/bushfires/1851. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.
“The Devastating Black Thursday Bushfires.” Craigieburn Historical Interest Group, chig.asn.au/the-devastating-black-thursday-bushfires-of-1851/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.
“On this day: The Black Thursday Bushfires.” In Times Gone By, 2 June 2018, intimesgoneby.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/on-this-day-the-black-thursday-bushfires/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.
Ross, Monique and Annabelle Quince. “The History of Fire in Australia—And How It Came Help Us Face the Bushfires of the Future.” ABC Radio National, 9 Feb. 2020, www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-10/fires-bushfires-in-australia-history-lessons-for-future/11937652. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.
Stevens, Kylie. “A Nation in Flames.” Daily Mail Australia, 20 Dec. 2019, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7838193/How-current-bushfire-crisis-compares-biggest-blazes-Australias-history.html. Accessed 8 Dec. 2020.