The Chatsbury/Bungonia bushfires of 1965 was a series of

bushfires A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...

that burned from 5 to 14 March 1965 in the Southern Highlands region of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, Australia. The fires destroyed the villages of

Tallong Tallong is in the traditional lands of the Gundungurra people. It is a village within the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, in Goulburn-Mulwaree Council. The village is located just outside the southern extremity of the ...

, Wingello, and most of the surrounding

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...

s. The fire is thought to be ignited by a spark from a Chatsbury Station

angle grinder An angle grinder, also known as a side grinder or disc grinder, is a handheld power tool used for grinding (abrasive cutting) and polishing. Although developed originally as tools for rigid abrasive discs, the availability of an interchangeable ...

. It quickly spread and covered and destroyed the areas' livestock. It is thought to be the greatest disaster in the area. Three people were killed. 28 homes were destroyed in Tallong, 31 in Wingello. The fire was eventually stopped (or burnt out) near

Nowra Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in th ...

on the NSW South Coast.

References

Bushfires in New South Wales 1965 fires in Oceania 1965 in Australia 1960s wildfires 1965 natural disasters 1960s in New South Wales March 1965 events in Australia 1965 disasters in Australia {{wildfire-stub