The Black Thursday fires of 1851 burned roughly a quarter of Victoria, killing twelve people and one million sheep in one of Australia's worst recorded bushfire disasters.
Key Facts
- Date
- 6 February 1851
- Area Burned
- 5 million hectares (about 25% of Victoria) hectares
- Human Deaths
- 12 people
- Livestock Killed
- Approximately 1 million sheep and thousands of cattle
- Region Affected
- Port Phillip District (now Victoria, Australia)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A powerful hot wind from the north struck the Port Phillip District on the morning of 6 February 1851, generating extreme temperatures and tornado-like conditions. The combination of fierce heat and strong winds created an environment highly conducive to the rapid ignition and spread of fire across the dry landscape.
On 6 February 1851, a series of devastating bushfires swept through the Port Phillip District of Australia. Driven by intense northerly winds and torrid heat, the fires consumed approximately 5 million hectares—roughly a quarter of what is now the state of Victoria—killing twelve people, one million sheep, thousands of cattle, and vast numbers of native animals.
The fires left enormous destruction across Victoria's pastoral and natural landscape, representing one of the most catastrophic bushfire events in Australian recorded history. The scale of livestock losses inflicted severe economic hardship on the colony's pastoral industry, and the disaster contributed to a long-term awareness of the extreme fire risk posed by Australian summer conditions.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 12 (fire)