As a proud Canberran living in Sydney, I know too well the jokes and criticisms Australians love to dish out against our capital and its people, some have elements of truth while others seem to have been pulled out of your favourite fantasy novel. And, like all Canberrans I take their gags on the chin with a sarcastic “ha, yeah…classic…” but the biggest joke on our city, isn’t even a joke at all – it’s not very funny to learn how little Australians know or remember about Saturday January 18 2003 – the day our nation’s capital burned. So let me fill you in!
In the somewhat close knit community of just over 320,000 residents (in 2003), finding someone more than 2 degrees of separation from you is a tall ask, let alone 6. And as such I’m sure all of us Canberrans know someone who lost something in those fires.
As a young, handsome kid of 14, I didn’t fully understand the severity of the situation happening to the west of the city that day. The fire-front was burning out of control through Namadgi National Park, with reports of burning embers landing on homes and lawns in the South West of the city. Residents of Tharwa were evacuated as the fire pressed down on the historic township, thankfully, no homes were lost.
Towards the afternoon, I remember walking outside and feeling the eeriness of the day. The sky was a deep orange, with the thickness of the smoke blocking out the intense heat of the sun, then shortly after the territory was in an official state of emergency, and it was then and there I realised the sheer magnitude of the situation at hand. Homes in Duffy and Chapman were alight by the early afternoon, with homes in Rivett, Holder, and Kambah igniting shortly after. Photos and videos from the day reveal the apocalyptic conditions fire-fighters and residents were battling in; embers and sparks poured across streets, with trees and homes too far-gone alight everywhere, and the sky completely blacked out.
The fires burned throughout the night, and at first light on the 19th – revealed the tragic devastation they had caused. More than 500 homes were lost that day, and tragically, four Canberrans died. Canberra’s iconic Stromlo Observatory was also lost along with five of its historic telescopes and library of astronomy literature. Over ten years on, the scars from that day are still visible on our city’s landscape and in the memories of all us who call the ‘Bush Capital’ of Canberra home.
Below is an absolute must watch video from the fires in 2003, it provides a harrowing insight into what it was like during the devastating event.
Big thank you to Matt Walter, and all the Walters for that matter!
Ignite Change 2014 