Battunga Country

The first Special Survey in the Battunga-Country region was purchased on 23rd January 1839. Almost 100 years later to the day, by some strange twist of fate, much of what had been built was destroyed.

Battunga-Country has been subjected to many bushfires over the years but none so devastating, in terms of property loss, as that on Black Friday 1939. Black Friday was the culmination of one of the State’s greatest heat waves on record:

Friday, 6th January 106.6°F (41.4°C )
Saturday, 7th January 107.7°F (42.0°C )
Sunday, 8th January 103.3°F (39.6°C )
Monday, 9th January 112.8°F (44.89°C )
Tuesday, 10th January 116.9°F (47.2°C )
Wednesday, 11th January 117.7°F (47.6°C )
Friday, 13th January 114.0°F (45.6°C )
Saturday, 14th January 99.6°F (37.6°C )

In his Memoirs of a Firefigher Michael Kavanagh (1906-1985) wrote:

"Friday 13th January 1939.
7a.m. We heard that a fire was burning on the hills near Bradbury. I was going to have a look when I met Tom Hampton coming to work on the clover. We went out towards Tunnel Hill and could see the fire burning down the hills towards the river. At that time, if Tom and self could have gotten to the other side, we could have put the fire out on our own, but there were no roads that we could see on the other side, so we had to wait till it crossed the river and up the same Spring Gully, as if out of a funnel with a hot north wind. Mrs Todd and her children were living in a house in line with the fire. I went down to take them to a safe place as the fire was only 100yds away. Mrs Todd said, “I have not bathed the baby.” I said: “We had better get going or you might not have a baby to bathe.” I would think that by this time nearly a hundred men were there."

"9a.m. Nothing could be done in the scrub. I went to Echunga and asked the Post Mistress to call Mt Barker, also Adelaide saying that we needed men urgently. We were burnt out by twelve noon. The house was alight three times - about twenty men were there by this time; one could hardly get one’s breath; but we fought on as the women were in the house. Men will fight to the last if the women are still there. Take the women away and you take the hearts out of the men. We saved the house, but all the sheds, implements, harness, tools, car, truck, buggy - all went. Houses were burnt in Echunga and Meadows. The fire went from Bradbury to Finniss in one day - it was six miles wide - not a scrap of green was left in thirty miles by six miles - 180 sq. miles - 89,100 hectares."

Many Battunga-Country homes, historical sites and industries were destroyed during this bushfire with the Ash Wednesday fires of 1981 and 1983 causing further destruction of houses and historical sites.

Fire Bans
Battunga-Country is in the Mt Lofty Ranges Fire Ban District and fire bans apply from December 1 to April 30. These dates may change due to seasonal conditions. Penalties for illegally lighting fires are severe and you face the possibility of incurring a fine of up to $8,000 or imprisonment for up to two years. For up-to-date fire ban information please phone the CFS Hotline on 1300 362 361.