BGM_Black Thursday: The Great Victorian Bushfires of 1851

On Thursday, February 6, 1851, Victoria was swallowed by fire. In this special episode of Down the Yarra, I will take you back to one of the most catastrophic days in recorded Australian history - Black Thursday, With the temperatures soaring past 47 degrees c, gale - forced winds fanned the flames across the colony, turning 5 million hectares to ash. From Warrandyte to the Western District, this was the firestorm of biblical proportions. We explore the causes, the devastation, and the forgotten voices - especially those of the First Nations peoples - whose knowledge of Country and Fire was tragically ignored. Packed with eyewitnesses accounts, hidden stories, and the haunting lessons still burning today, this episode sheds light on the day that the sky went dark at noon. Trigger Warning: This episode contains descriptions of bushfires, death, and environmental devastation. Listeners discretion is advised. Teaser: next time on Down the Yarra, we step inside Melbourne’s iconic Town Hall - where civic pride, cultural history, and hidden mysteries all converge.