How 1851's Black Thursday helped shape Victoria

In February 1851, Black Thursday blazed through the Port Phillip District of what is now Victoria, Australia. Unprecedented in intensity, the fire ravaged an area five times the size of Tasmania, incinerating five million hectares of land and killing 12 people and over a million livestock. The consequences of this catastrophic bushfire were far-reaching, reshaping the government, policy, and society of Victoria.

The fire sparked the birth of Victoria as a separate colony, separating from New South Wales. Melbourne University lecturer Fiannuala Morgan notes its impact is still evident in stories, poems, and paintings from the era, often referred to as a "baptism of fire" for the colony. The extensive damage opened up vast areas of land for pastoralists and prospectors, including suggesting it revealed new gold seams.

This led to the introduction of Victoria's first bushfire legislation, reflecting the state's current fire danger period laws.

Black Thursday also had a profound impact on Indigenous populations. While some Boon Wurrung people in Western Port remained calm during the blaze, seemingly unconcerned, others helped battle fires and save lives. However, widespread Indigenous land management practices were disrupted, and the fire-ravaged bushland enabled a surge of colonising pastoralists and gold prospectors, leading to a bloody war on the frontier.

Professor Tom Griffiths from Australian National University rejects the notion that bushfires have always been a problem in Australia and are not getting worse due to anthropogenic climate change. Fire experts emphasize that modern bushfire behavior is vastly different in the face of climate change, as heat and dryness increase fire risk.