Bushfires in the Canberra Region 1858

from the Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday 26 January 1858

"The LATE CALAMITOUS BUSH Fires - The whole country for miles around has been laid waste by the recent destructive and calamitous bush-fires, and great will be the loss and deprivation to many of our settlers from the burning of their crops, the perishing of every morsel of feed for their horses and cattle, and the destruction to all kinds of property. But we have heard of none who have been so unfortunate, during this terrible visitation as Captain M'Callum, of Good Hope. That gentleman's loss exceeds in value £700. The fire broke out during the hot winds of Friday last, and came in a direction unlooked for. Some time since Captain M'Callum made several attempts to burn the thistles that surrounded his property. After burning the grass around the wheat and hay stacks, and some distance on each side the fencing, Captain McCallum felt himself safe from any fire that might break out in his vicinity.

However, on Friday last, the captain was startled from his thoughts of fancied security by the information that a fire had broken out, and that the flames were marching through the thistles which were at this time ten and twelve feet high at the rate of about 30 or 40 miles an hour toward tho whole of his last year's produce. Captain M'Callum and family had only time to view from a distant, rising ground the destructive element1 pour into the barns and stacks, along the fencing, of their property, and through a stone house which had been erected, at a cost of £1200 two or three years since; but which they had kept unoccupied since the floods that had inundated it.

They had no power to arrest the progress of the fire, and property to the value of nearly £1000 became a sacrifice. Others have been sufferers, and amongst them we may mention Mr. Charles Hall, of Yeumburra, who has had all his run burned, and will experience much difficulty in getting feed for his sheep. Mr Shinkwin, and many others on tho Yass River, have been in great danger, the fires coming down upon their crops at the rate of a mile a minute; but by dint of great perseverance the progress of the flames was stayed, and their ruin prevented. On Friday night the fence of Mr. William Davis, of the Gap, was consumed, and it was with difficulty that the house and outbuildings were saved. On Saturday night a heavy rain came on, put out the fires, and thus saved the country from further calamity." - Goulburn Herald