Mt Stromlo observatory was destroyed in the January 2003 Canberra bushfires.
To find more information about how much destruction Mt Stromlo experienced, together with its redevelopment, see the related weblink below.
The 2003 Canberra bushfires ended through the concerted efforts of the Emergency Services personnel. A protracted campaign of fire-fighting, together with water-bombing were necessary to contain the worst of the fires. The speed and intensity of the fires was unexpected, and there were so many fire fronts that firefighters struggled to keep up. 150 NSW Rural Fire Service personnel and 40 extra firefighters were brought in from Queensland to help the ACT firefighters. In the end, the fires continued past Canberra, met with back-burning and burnt themselves out as they ran out of fuel.
The Canberra bushfires of 2003 were started by lightning strikes in the Kosciuszko National Park to the west of the ACT. These spread to the adjoining Brindabella and Namadgi National Parks near Canberra and a state of emergency was declared in the city itself when, at 2.45pm on 18 January 2003, the fires reached the outskirts of Canberra and began encroaching upon the city. The fires were exacerbated by the heat and dry conditions, a common problem in southern inland Australia in summer.
Bushfires, as they are properly called in Australia, are very common, particularly during the summer months. Parts of southern Australia, where the summers can be very hot and dry for extended periods of time, are particularly bushfire-prone. Bushfires occur throughout Australia, wherever the vegetation becomes dried out and easily ignited during heatwaves or drought. A common cause of bushfires is when tinder-dry vegetation is struck by lightning.There have been several significant bushfires that have caused great devastation and loss of life in Australia since European settlement. The Black Friday bushfires (1939), Ash Wednesday bushfires (1983), Canberra bushfires (2003) and Black Saturday bushfires (2009) have been among Australia's worst natural disasters.
1. The February 2009 "Black Saturday" bushfires in Victoria which, to date, have reached a death toll of 210. 2. The February 1983 "Ash Wednesday" bushfires had a combined death toll of 75 for South Australia and Victoria. 3. The January 1939 "Black Friday" bushfires in Victoria, which saw 71 deaths. 4. The January 2005 bushfires on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, which claimed 9 lives.
Bushfires in Australia are very common during summer. However, bushfires like the massive Black Saturday fires across Victoria in February 2009, which killed almost 200 people, only occur every few decades. Prior to Black Saturday, the worst fires were Ash Wednedsay (1983) and Black Friday (1939). In between, there have been some deadly bushfires that killed a smaller number of people (Canberra 2003; Eyre Peninsula 2005). In other years, many areas may be threatened by bushfires, particularly in the south and over in Western Australia, leading to huge property losses.
Canberra has never been "destroyed", but it has been badly damaged. The Canberra bushfires of 2003 caused severe damage to the outskirts of Canberra. Almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory's pasture, forest and nature parks were severly damaged, and most of the renowned Mount Stromlo Observatory was destroyed. After burning for a week around the edges of the ACT, the fires entered the suburbs of canberra on 18 January 2003.
The Canberra bushfires in 2003 started to the south west of the city and moved through the southern suburbs of Canberra, heading towards the coast (eastern Australia).
The Canberra bushfires started at 2.45pm on 18 January 2003 and, at their worst, lasted for ten hours.
The Australian Capital Territory, where the Canberra bushfires occurred, covers 2,359 square kilometres. During the bushfires of January 2003, almost 70% of the ACT's pasture land, forests and nature parks were burnt. That works out to 1,651 square kilometres. This does not include the 500 homes destroyed.
The 2003 Canberra bushfires ended through the concerted efforts of the Emergency Services personnel. A protracted campaign of fire-fighting, together with water-bombing were necessary to contain the worst of the fires. The speed and intensity of the fires was unexpected, and there were so many fire fronts that firefighters struggled to keep up. 150 NSW Rural Fire Service personnel and 40 extra firefighters were brought in from Queensland to help the ACT firefighters. In the end, the fires continued past Canberra, met with back-burning and burnt themselves out as they ran out of fuel.
The Canberra bushfires of 2003 were started by lightning strikes in the Kosciuszko National Park to the west of the ACT. These spread to the adjoining Brindabella and Namadgi National Parks near Canberra and a state of emergency was declared in the city itself when, at 2.45pm on 18 January 2003, the fires reached the outskirts of Canberra and began encroaching upon the city. The fires were exacerbated by the heat and dry conditions, a common problem in southern inland Australia in summer.
If you are referring to the Canberra Bush fires of 2003, there were over 500 homes destroyed.
Collins Observatory was created in 2003.
AIS Canberra Darters was created in 2003.
Bushfires, as they are properly called in Australia, are very common, particularly during the summer months. Parts of southern Australia, where the summers can be very hot and dry for extended periods of time, are particularly bushfire-prone. Bushfires occur throughout Australia, wherever the vegetation becomes dried out and easily ignited during heatwaves or drought. A common cause of bushfires is when tinder-dry vegetation is struck by lightning.There have been several significant bushfires that have caused great devastation and loss of life in Australia since European settlement. The Black Friday bushfires (1939), Ash Wednesday bushfires (1983), Canberra bushfires (2003) and Black Saturday bushfires (2009) have been among Australia's worst natural disasters.
1. The February 2009 "Black Saturday" bushfires in Victoria which, to date, have reached a death toll of 210. 2. The February 1983 "Ash Wednesday" bushfires had a combined death toll of 75 for South Australia and Victoria. 3. The January 1939 "Black Friday" bushfires in Victoria, which saw 71 deaths. 4. The January 2005 bushfires on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, which claimed 9 lives.
Bushfires in Australia are very common during summer. However, bushfires like the massive Black Saturday fires across Victoria in February 2009, which killed almost 200 people, only occur every few decades. Prior to Black Saturday, the worst fires were Ash Wednedsay (1983) and Black Friday (1939). In between, there have been some deadly bushfires that killed a smaller number of people (Canberra 2003; Eyre Peninsula 2005). In other years, many areas may be threatened by bushfires, particularly in the south and over in Western Australia, leading to huge property losses.