Premier

Commemorating The 2009 Victorian Bushfires

01 February 2019

The Andrews Labor Government will create a new bushfire museum and education centre to raise awareness of the history, stories and lessons of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires as well as other significant fires.

This year marks a decade since the 2009 Victorian Bushfires which changed our state forever and were some of the worst in Australia’s history.

The Bushfire Anniversary Advisory Group has recommended creating a bushfire museum with a reflective space to commemorate our past and educate generations into the future.

The advisory group is chaired by the Hon John Brumby AO and includes former Deputy Premier and Minister for Emergency Services Pat McNamara, Ms Susan Pascoe AM and Mr Ben Hubbard.

Victorians will have an opportunity to provide input into the project through an extensive community consultation process that will begin in coming months.

This input will help inform future planning and design work – a process that will be led by Creative Victoria in consultation with the Office for the Victorian Government Architect.

The catastrophic 2009 bushfires devastated the state, with 173 people losing their lives and countless more impacted.

The ten-year anniversary is an important opportunity to reflect and remember the impact of those fires, which continues to be felt to this day.

The museum will also raise awareness of bushfires that have impacted Victoria, including the Ash Wednesday bushfires, the 1969 Lara fire and the 1939 Black Friday bushfires which burned around 20,000 square kilometres of land.

Museums Victoria will be showing select objects from its Victorian Bushfires Collection as part of its upcoming From the Heart temporary exhibition to mark the ten-year anniversary. The exhibition opens on 5 February at Melbourne Museum.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville

“This is about remembering those lives lost a decade ago and sharing the stories of those communities affected by the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.”

“This museum will help bring together the experiences, knowledge and stories of how fire has shaped our state and how it will continue to impact us for generations to come.”

Quote attributable to Chair Bushfire Anniversary Advisory Group Chair Hon John Brumby AO

“This idea has come from community consultations led by the Bushfire Anniversary Advisory Group – and because we want to get this right, local voices will continue to be a pivotal part of its development.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

Was this page helpful?