As well as tragic loss of life, destruction of architecture and property, fires have also destroyed valuable records relating to Queensland. When the Supreme Court was gutted by fire on 1 September 1969, most of the ecclesiastical files for 1955-56 and the intestacy files for 1946-68 were lost, a heartbreaking blow for historians and family history researchers.
Bushfires are a part of the Australian ecosystem with many trees and plants requiring heat to this degree to allow their seeds to germinate. Controlled burnings and vegetation management are an integral part of Queensland rural life.
“Fire” is such a potential threat to life and property that in 1863 Queensland legislated (Inquest of Fires Act of 1863) to ensure that all fires would be subject to a formal inquest to establish the cause and recommend the future prevention of such fire.