Canberra Bushfire

January, 2003

Lightning strikes started fires in the dense bushland of national parks in the heat of summer, 2003 while over 90% of NSW/ACT was in the grip of a drought. Two fires combined and roared through parts of Canberra. The suburb of Duffy was badly hit and many homes were destroyed.

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve was in the path of the very hot bushfire. Volunteers managed to save the visitor centre building but the whole reserve was burnt. Native trees are adapted to this bushfire environment and are now regenerating with bright green regrowth. The many grass trees in the reserve also survived but many of the animals did not survive and the whole colony of koalas was wiped out. Except for Lucky. She was badly burnt but was nursed back to health and is now the star exhibit of the reserve (but a burnt, sleeping koala in an enclosure in pouring rain does not make a good photo).