The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has a long history of bushfires. Typically, the fire season commences on 1 October and runs through until 31 March the following year. During this time the ACT will commonly experience wildfires including grassfires and bushfires. Most years will have a few fires of varying sizes and impacts, but some seasons are more significant than others.
History of Bushfires in the ACT
The Limestone Plains (1800s - 1911) There are very few records regarding bushfires in the Australian Capital Territory (known at the time as Limestone Plains) from the early 1800s to the first quarter of the twentieth century. There are records of fires in the surrounding areas of modern-day Queanbeyan, Sutton, Gunning, New South Wales Wee Jasper and Goulburn as early as 1833.
In January 1862 it was reported in the Queanbeyan Age and General Advertiser that large bush fires had raged around Queanbeyan. It is also reported in the Queanbeyan Age that during January 1875 bush fires occurred in all parts of Australia, and this report specifically included the Limestone Plains.
1888 A fire impacts the Sutton, Queanbeyan and Bungondore areas.
1902 A fire burns between the Murrumbidgee River and Weetangera.
1904 In December 1904 there were widespread fires across NSW. One in particular burnt large tracts of what is today the ACT.This fire crossed the Murrumbidgee River about noon Sunday, 1st January at a spot known as Horseshoe Bend, and was stopped the same day behind Gungahlin Homestead. This fire travelled through Kilby's at the falls, the southern edge of the fire entering the Territory somewhere near where Mr. Shepard now resides, and travelled in an easterly direction. Heavy losses of fencing and stock resulted, buildings destroyed including outbuildings and Kilby's homestead, the old store at Ginninderra and odd buildings at Ginninderra Station.
1906 January 1906 saw a bushfire in the Naas area, to the south of the Territory. This fire included a reported entrapment of a number of firefighters.
1909 Multiple fires around both Hall and Bungendore. During this period, a nearby weather station at Queanbeyan recorded the highest maximum and minimum temperature on record at the time - 105.5°F (40.8°C) maximum and 69.8°F (21°C) minimum.
1910
The Queanbeyan Age from Tuesday 18 January 1910 reports "The Weetangara Fire Brigade burnt several firebreaks around the various holdings before Christmas. Mr. Crace kindly lent his fire-fighter for the purpose."
Federal Capital Territory (1911-1938) The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was transferred to the Commonwealth by New South Wales on 1 January 1911, two years before the naming of Canberra as the national capital on 20 March 1913.
1913 Fire in Tidbinbilla area, burning right through to Murrays Gap.Bush fire west of the Murrumbidgee River, Parish Congwarra 23/12/1913
Sir,
In accordance with your verbal instructions of the 16th and on the above Subject I at once proceeded to the locality and beg to report as follows:-
The fire had a spread over a very large area, the face of which was approx. 10 miles long, the southern part where the greatest danger threatened, extended from Paddy's River near the south boundary of Phillip Hardy's land (now Commonwealth property) for about 4 miles west, and had already got into the unimproved country owned by Halcliffe and was dangerously near Tuggeranong which at present is heavily grassed and dry as tinder.
On my arrival I found the local Settlers and Station hands had done splendid work and had the fire checked inside Halcliffe's boundary but about 1½ mile at Paddy's River end was burning fiercely and appeared to be beaten the fighters and was unattended. After reviewing the situation I proceeded to the Cotter works & Mr Alfords representing Mr. Brilliant at once placed men and gear at my disposal and within 2½ hours 20 men were at the fire 4 miles away, with the necessary tools etc. Starting one gang on Paddy's River end of the southern front to make a trail to meet the fire by raking up leaves etc. I took another gang over the mountain (by this time very dark), and commenced a trail from where the men had the fire checked at Mr. Halcliffe's land, and after working hard all night the two gangs met at daylight with a completed trail.
These men were replaced on the 17th by 20 men, 10 of which under a ganger were sent to assist the tired workers at Halcliffe's and further west; the balance commenced the work of trailing the eastern wing of the fire. At sundown these men were replaced by 6 men under a ganger who watched the break on the southern front until daylight.
On the 18th had 35 men in 4 gangs, 3 of which worked on the trail from Paddy's River along the eastern & northern wing to near Hardy's Mountain on Pierces Creek, where an old fire had died out some weeks previously: this trail had the effect of preventing the fire extending north and east, and so saving Holding 83 (Wm. Hardy) & Moore's holding and the greater part of Phil Hardy Jnr. (the whole now Commonwealth property) and at the same time preventing the possibility of the fire reaching the Murrumbidgee and so spreading to “Tuggeranong” by this route.
On the night of the 18th 6 men i/c of a ganger watched the fire and on the 19th from early morning I rode the trail with one man and attended to dangerous places; this man (Mr. Flint) I left to patrol the fire whilst there is likely to be danger & to phone from the Cotter at once should the fire jump over trail & be beyond his control.
The damage done was slight, and consisted to the dog proof fence on the southern boundary of Phil Hardy's holdings; as the fire was still burning an estimate of the number of posts burned cannot be until later. However it is safe to say that had the men not been available and action delayed 24 hours, the fire would have been in the grass country, through Hardy's Holdings & on to Tuggeranong and it is likely the whole country side would have been burned. There are still hundreds of acres of timber burning, but with ordinary care, it is not likely that there will be any further trouble, for the trails were carefully & of fair width.
I wish to point out that Mr. Alfords as Mr. Brilliants representative placed men and materials at my disposal with great promptness, and had the men conveyed to and from the fire without a hitch, and further assisted me in every possible way; the men and their part, from gangers down worked splendidly, at night as well as during the day.
Yours faithfully J C Brackenreg Inspector, Lands & Survey Canberra
1918 A fire moved from the west near Mount Coree toward Mount Stromlo.This fire travelled from the direction of Coree and was driven in a narrow more or less confined space over Bullen, bark and rubbish being driven by the wind on this side of the river, with the result that Stromlo was endangered, but owing to the narrowness of the fire and the scarcity of feed, its progress was held up at Bulga creek near J. Brown's residence.
1920 Fire near Tidbinbilla, moving up toward Orroral Valley. This fire followed a similar path to the Orroral Valley fire in 2020.This fire came out of the Cotter over Tidbinbilla Mountain and was driven by the prevailing wind in a South-easterly direction. The fire travelled from Staunton's at Tidbinbilla over Mount Domain into Gibralter Creek and up Gibralter Creek to the head of Kangaroo Flat and from there to Orroral via Mt. Tennent. Over 200 men were engaged on this fire, many being supplied by this Administration. Considerable damage was done to the bush country, but fortunately the fire was kept out of the improved land, so that losses in this respect were not heavy.
1927 A fire threatened the Mount Stromlo Pine plantation.
1929 A fire came from the direction of Wee Jasper toward the FCT.
1931 On 31 December 1931 from another fire which began near Wee Jasper.This fire travelled from the direction of Wee Jasper to Horseshoe Bend and was stopped at great expense to this Administration at the Murrumbidgee River by a line drawn from the River in a westerly direction. This fire occurred on New Year's Day, and had the high wind been blowing on that occasion, nothing would have kept it on the other side of the river, and as the country was heavily grassed and the fire reached the Murrumbidgee early in the morning, there is no doubt that the position for would have been even more serious that was the case in the recent fire.B.J Bond, the Forest Foreman wrote the following report;Acting under your instructions on the 31st December, 1931, I took four men in my car to fire on the Horseshoe Estate, in New South Wales territory, arriving at the fire at 4pm. Mr. M. Walker was controlling operations and had about 15 men on the western front at this time. I handed my four men over to him and they were at once put to work beating out. Mr. Walker and I then rode to the southern front.
There were no men on this section, and from this point there was the greatest danger of the fire spreading into the F.C.T. I advised getting ten men to work immediately on this front in order to carry the fire along a small creek running into the Murrumbidgee River, thus stopping the spread in a southerly directions. Mr. Walker agreed to this plan and rode back to call up the men, when a message came for him reporting a fresh outbreak of fire at the Mullion, near his home.
Mr. Walker left for the new outbreak, taking twelve of his men with him, leaving me with four of my men and three others. We fought the fire towards the river until a strong east wind carried it out of control. Mr. Walker returned at this time with his men having found that the report of fire at Mullion was a false alarm. He took charge and held the fire on a dry creek running parallel with the western front, and this creek in connection with a gully running to the river was the means by which the outbreak was got under control.
All burning grass on all fronts was under control by 3.30am on 1 January 1932. Throwing in and raking back the burning logs and debris was carried on by all available men, and some straightening up of the front was done by burning out dangerous angles.
I had received reinforcements of 16 men from Canberra, 6 arriving at 7pm on the 31 December 1931 and 10 at 6am on 1 January 1932, with 3 from Uriarra who arrived at 12 midnight on 31/12/31. Seven men were released at 8.30am on 1 January 1932 from the western front and sent back to Canberra.
At 2pm on 1/1/32 I considered it safe to withdraw the remainder of the Canberra men (14) leaving the southern front, which was the most dangerous salient, to be guarded by the local men and ten men from Hall side. Three Uriarra men were left to guard a small dangerous salient on the west front.
On 2nd January, 1932 I inspected the fire and found all quiet, there being only two salient where careful guard and felling of Stringybark trees was necessary. This work was being carried out by Canberra men and locals.
I estimate the area burned at 2,500 to 3,000 acres. No stock were burnt. A large number of men were on patrol on the east side of the river on 31st December, 1931 and I feel sure that the fire could have been put under control by 12 noon on 31st December, 1931 if half of those men had crossed to the western side on the morning of the 31st December.
(SGD.) B. J. Bond Forest Foreman
1932 A fire burnt in the Cotter Valley through January and February.MEMORANDUM for: The Chief Lands Officer. Cotter Valley Fire. January–February, 1932.
As a result of a conference held at the residence of the Chief Lands Officer on Saturday afternoon, 30th January, it was decided to send men to the fire to attempt to arrest its progress and prevent it crossing the Cotter River.