Bushfires in Victoria

Find books, government reports, websites, statistics, newspaper articles and images about Victorian bushfires from 1851 to today.

Resources

From December 1938 to January 1939, fires burnt out around two million hectares. 71 people died and more than 650 buildings were destroyed. The most severe fires came during a firestorm on Friday January 13, known as Black Friday.

Advice on using the Library's catalogue, in-house indexes and newspapers collection to research these fires can be found on our Research fires page.

Search the Library's catalogue to find images of the aftermath of these fires, particularly in Omeo.

Black Friday - 1939 Victorian bushfires
This website contains a short, well written summary of major events before, during and after the 1939 fires. It includes information on how firefighting practices changed due to recommendations made by the Royal Commission.
Black Friday - online documentary about 1939 Victorian bushfires by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Film Victoria & Moira Fahy
Archived website. Includes an interactive timeline and maps, newspaper articles, oral histories, and summaries of the findings and recommendations from the Royal Commission.
1939 bushfires Royal Commission: report and transcript of evidence
Digitised by University of Melbourne Library with Public Record Office Victoria. Includes transcript of the 34 days of evidence given to the Commission. There is a searchable index of evidence. It includes the Commission's final report.
Report of the Royal Commission to inquire into the causes of and measures taken to prevent the bush fires of January, 1939
Online. Also available online on the Library website.
Ordeal by fire: the week a state burned up
This book is a detailed account of the 1939 fires, written by a journalist who reported on them at the time for the Melbourne Herald newspaper. It includes many photographs from the Herald and the Sun News-Pictorial. It also includes a roll of all those who died, and where they perished, and a map of areas burnt, including the number of sawmills destroyed in each area.
Drought, dust and deluge: a century of climate extremes in Australia
This book looks at the influence meteorological effects had the fires. See page 11.
Bush fires: a pictorial survey of Victoria's most tragic week, January 8-15, 1939
This booklet was published by the Sun News-Pictorial newspaper, in aid of the Bush Fire Relief Fund. It can be read online.
Burn: the epic story of bushfire in Australia
This book covers major fires including the 1939 fires. It includes extensive references.
Great disasters in Australian history
Book. Includes a chapter dedicated to the Black Friday fires.
Secrets of the forest: discovering history in Melbourne's ash range
This book features a chapter on the Black Friday fires. Includes photographs and map showing extent of damage. Also includes information about the effect of the fires on the logging/forestry industries, particularly in areas where mountain ash eucalypts grew.
[Herald newspaper reports about the Royal Commission]
A number of articles about the Royal Commission were published in the Herald newspaper. A list of these articles can be found in the Herald card index, in the Library's Family History & Newspaper Room. Look under the subject heading Fires-Bush-Inquiry. Copies of the Herald newspaper from 1939 are also available in the room.
Letter, 1939 by Lisa Christensen
A letter about the 1939 Victorian bushfires, written in Danish for a Danish newspaper. An English translation is also included in this set of records.
This letter is in the Library's Manuscripts Collection, and to access it you must contact us before your visit.
[Photograph showing bodies being removed from timber mills near Alexandra]
This photograph is included in the book Famous Australian news pictures. See page 37.
Illuminated by a pall of smoke : Victoria and the January 1939 bushfires by Jan McDonald
Thesis discussing the 1939 fires and aftermath. Includes photographs and maps. (1989)

Resources at the Public Record Office Victoria

The Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) in North Melbourne collects records created by Victorian government departments and agencies. They hold many records relating to Victorian bushfires, including:

Royal Commission to inquire into bush fires which burned in Victoria in January 1939
Transcripts of evidence
Department of State Forests, correspondence with Sir J Barrett on the 1939 Commission
Department of State Forests, statements of damage prepared for the Commission
Original report of the 1939 Commission which was presented to the Premier
Includes a note from the Premier indicating the report should be presented in Parliament. These come from correspondence files from the Department of the Premier.

Visit PROV's Black Friday 1939 - 80th Anniversary blog post for images from inquest records and links to relevent collections.

Bush fires : a pictorial survey of Victoria's most tragic week, January 8-15, 1939. Page 24

Maps

Victoria showing areas swept by bush fires, January 1939
This map is available to view online.
Past incident maps (1939-2009) (archived website)
Secrets of the forest: discovering history in Melbourne's ash range
This book includes a map showing the extent of the damage caused by these fires.
Interactive map
Trace where the Black Friday fires started and how the fires jumped to the next town

Statistics

The total estimated cost of the 1939 Victorian bushfires was $250 million.

To find out the number of deaths and losses of property associated with these bushfires, check:

Australian Disaster Resilience disasters database (1867-)