The city newspaper extracts strongly reflect the bushfire tragedy as it was unfolding through daily news reports from the major dailies in Melbourne in 1939.

These daily reports in The Argus, The Age and The Sun, describe the increase in the number of fires and deaths and the impact of the weather and bushfires on regional communities. Select from the list of city newspapers below.

07/01/39 | Worst Heat Wave in Country Since 1914
09/01/39 | Congregations offer special rain prayers
09/01/39 | Bush Fire Destruction in Gippsland
10/01/39 | Shirt-Sleeved Scientists
11/01/39 | Record Heat in City
11/01/39 | Wind Change Saves Town
11/01/39 | Fire Peril Grips Healesville
11/01/39 | 1000 Men Fight S.A. Bush Fires
16/01/39 | Terrible Toll
21/01/39 | Fire Inquiry Should Be Full and Prompt
01/03/39 | Judge Rebukes Forests Officer at Inquiry
01/03/39 | Allegation at Inquiry
02/03/39 | Statement by Sun Editor
02/03/39 | Nightmare policy

09/01/39 | Fire Fiend at Dromana
09/01/39 | Trapped at Erica - Refugees in Township
09/01/39 | Fierce Heat over State
09/01/39 | Fish Dying - Stream Too Hot
10/01/39 | Refugees at Erica
11/01/39 | All Heat Records Broken
11/01/39 | Relief for Fire Sufferers
11/01/39 | Powelltown is Threatened
11/01/39 | Erica Circled by Roaring Flames
11/01/39 | Volunteers WANTED
11/01/39 | Township Gutted - Narbethong ablaze
12/01/39 | Battles Won by Courage
12/01/39 | Biddy and the Bath
12/01/39 | 19 Bodies of Bush Fire Victims Recovered
20/01/39 | Premier’s Tour of Bush Fire Areas
24/01/39 | Cockatoo
25/01/39 | The Causes of Bush Fires
18/05/39 | Bush Fires Report Presented [17 May]

09/01/39 | Worst to come?
13/01/39 | The Angel of Noojee
14/01/39 | Pillaging
19/01/39 | An asinine policy?

15/04/37 | New Acting Judge of the County Court
28/01/39 | Letter from Cattle-Woman

07/01/39 | A Cheerful Outlook
14/01/39 | Melbourne Water Shortage
14/01/39 | Nine deaths from heat
14/01/39 | Origin of Bush Fires Sought
14/01/39 | Outlook
14/01/39 | Devastating Bush Fires Sweep State
21/01/39 | Widespread Rain Ends Fire Horror
21/01/39 | 300 Refugees from Woods Point