From Ashes to Action: How 175 Years of Bushfires Shaped a World-Leading Disaster Response System
In the searing aftermath of bushfires, Victoria has forged not just scars on its landscape but a legacy of learning. From the ferocity of Black Thursday in 1851 to the horror of Black Summer beginning in 2019, bushfires have been central to Victoria's settler history shaping its forests, institutions, communities, and consciousness.
For nearly two centuries, the state’s relationship with fire has transformed from fragmented firefighting efforts to one of the most integrated and forward-looking emergency management systems in the world.
The Slow Awakening: 19th Century Firefighting
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, bushfires were seen as inevitable acts of nature. Local landholders and loosely organized brigades bore the burden with limited coordination or governmental oversigh...
