2003 Bushfires photographs


Photographic Collections

The Canberra bushfires of 2003 were extensively photographed by professional photographers and by those experiencing the disaster as it unfolded.

The ACT Heritage Library holds many collections and publications about the fires. Other material can be found at memory institutions in the ACT and NSW. Links are made to the locations of all items.

Jeff Cutting Papers

2003-2006

On the 24 January 2003, the ACT Government announced the establishment of a Bushfire Recovery Taskforce to coordinate the government, community and business efforts to assist the victims of the disaster and the longer-term recovery of the ACT.

Available onine and at the ACT Heritage Library.

Patricia Frei Collection

2003

Includes a compact of digital and digitised images the areas affected by the 2003 Bushfire in Weston Creek, the Orroral Valley, Tidbinbilla, Duffy, Mount Stromlo, Chapman, Cooleman Farm, Coppins Crossing, Cotter River, Molonglo River before and after the January 18 2003 firestorm. Trish and her husband Helmut live on Eucumbembe Drive, Duffy, the first street to be devastated by the fires.

Available online and at the ACT Heritage Library.

Newell-Sutherland Mt Stromlo Photographs

30 Aug 1965 - 23 Jan 2003

Photographs of life at Mt Stromlo. Astrophysicist Barry Newell was Administrator of Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories of the Australian National University. The family lived first at house no. 3, which subsequently survived the 2003 bushfire, then from about 1984 to 1991 at house no. 9. This house was removed by the ANU in the late 1990s.

Available online and at the ACT Heritage Library.

Mt Stromlo Observatory, the Aftermath

23 January 2003-30 April 2003

On 23 January 2003 members of Mt Stromlo staff were taken through the ruins of Mt Stromlo. Most of these photographs were taken by Denise and Ralph on 23 January; the last five were taken on a later visit, after the external debris had been removed and the site made secure.

Available online and at the ACT Heritage Library.

Bibangara Homestead Photographs

01 December 2002-20 January 2003

Bibangara Homestead is an agistment services property located at 118 Cotter Road, Strolo.  Cnaberra resident Roz Hodsdon held horses at Bibaringa for 9 years.  The collection is mostly photographs post the 2003 Canberra Bushfires.

Available online and at the ACT Heritage Library.

Keira Bulbs 2003 Bushfire Photographs

12 January 2003

Graham and Helen Fleming, owners of Keira Bulbs in Pialligo took photographs from Pialligo looking west to the Brindabella Ranges on Sunday 12 January 2003. The photographs show the smoke and haze from the fires visible in Canberra over a week before the fires entered Canberra suburbs.

Available online and at the ACT Heritage Library.

David Haworth Photographs

January 2004

In January 2004, Sydney heritage photographer David Haworth drove the loop from Mt Stromlo, the Cotter Road around to Tidbinbilla documenting the post 2003 bushfire regrowth.

Collection currently unavailable.

Available at the ACT Heritage Library.

Canberra Bushfires, 2003

2003

7 digital photographs by Christine Thomas and Simon Mockler

Available online and at the National Library of Australia.

Canberra Fires, January 2003

2003

833 digital photographs by Loui Seselja, Damian McDonald and Greg Power

Available online and at the National Library of Australia

Fighting bushfires on the Mount Franklin Road

11-12 January 2003

3 photographs by David Tunbridge

Available online and at the National Library of Australia.

Mount Stromlo Observatory, ANU Photographs

2003

5 galleries of photographs by Jason Phillips, Stephen Byron, Kim Rawlings, Mark Bacon and Ray Brown of the Mount Stromlo Observatory after the bushfires of 18 January 2003.

Available online from Mount Stromlo Observatory website.

Commonwealth Solar Observatory

2003

Several photographs of the aftermath of the bushfires at Mount Stromlo

Available online and at ANU Archives.

ACT Forests

December 3003

396 photographs by "Spelio" including several of post-fire forest regeneration in December 2003.

Available online on Flickr.

Canberra Bushfire Memorial

18 January 2006

21 photographs by Pascal Vuylsteker

Available online on Flickr.

Canberra Bushfires 2003

18 January 2003

Photographs by John Lafferty

Available online on Flickr.

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