Black Saturday Night is a unique and awe-inspiring reminder for future generations of Australia's worst natural disaster.

This strictly limited-edition print by Chris Mulherin was taken from Doncaster hill at 9.15pm on February 7th 2009. That tragic day - Melbourne's hottest day on record - is now known as Black Saturday.

The print is a haunting image of the catastrophic firestorm blazing on the northern outskirts of the city. The horizon is ablaze with flame, the moon shines through the clouds, and the houses of Doncaster and Templestowe fill the foreground.

This photo was featured in The Herald-Sun, ABC TV News, The Age and ABC online, as well as the CFA Brigade Magazine. It was also chosen as the cover photo of the CFA Operational Debrief Report for the 2008/09 Fire Season. (See a copy here.)

This signed and numbered print comes with a certificate of authenticity as well as a digital copy on CD.

Delivery is free in the Melbourne metropolitan area, $25 by post within Australia and $60 internationally. A discount of $100 applies to fire affected households. Payment can be made on delivery or by bank transfer, cheque or by secure credit card payment through Paypal.

20% of net proceeds go to the
CFA and to AngliCORD overseas
relief and development.
(Fundraiser registration number 11007)

Payment options
The cost of the print will be discounted by $100 for CFA members and for people affected by the fires who hold a VBBRA referral card. Please use option 2.

1. Secure credit card payment via Paypal. Select your delivery option:

Melbourne (free delivery) $289.00 Australia (postage $25) $314.00 International (postage $60) $349.00

2. To pay by bank transfer, cheque or Cash On Delivery send an email or phone 0431 330 380.

Details of the print
The dark wood frame size is 64 x 48cm and the photo size is 45 x 30cm. The photo is printed by Vanbar Imaging in Carlton on Fuji Crystal Archive paper. It is professionally framed by Sierra Gallery in Kew. Sales are limited to 850 signed and numbered prints.

What was Black Saturday?

If you are not from Australia then you might be wondering about the background to this photo.

The forward to the Operational Debrief Report of the Country Fire Authority for the 2008-2009 fire season says:

History will remember the 2008/09 Victorian fire season for Black Saturday, the most significant bushfire event in Victoria’s history and Australia’s worst natural disaster.

Black Saturday was Saturday February 7th 2009 and it came as the culmination of a weather pattern that led to the catastrophic bushfires of that day. The CFA Debrief describes the situation in the weeks before that day:

December 2008 was abnormally cool and wet across most of Victoria. Temperatures across the State were about 2 oC below normal. Many sites in Victoria exceeded their usual December rainfall by more than 25%. Some areas in the south-west of the State received the highest total December rainfall in 20 years. This rainfall led to new vegetation growth.

During January 2009, most of the State returned to conditions described as very dry and, at the end of the month, as very hot. The vegetation growth from the rain in December dried out completely. Fuel loads were at very high levels.

The last week of January 2009 was exceptionally hot. For example, in Melbourne, temperatures over 43 oC were recorded on three consecutive days – 28th (43.4), 29th (44.3) and 30th (45.1). Eight Total Fire Ban days were declared in January 2009.

Following the January heatwave, a weak change brought some relief, mostly to southern coastal areas from 31st January onwards. However, inland areas remained very hot until 5 February. For example, Bendigo recorded daily maximum temperatures (in degrees Celsius) of 40, 35.5, 34.5, 37 and 40.2 between 1st and 5th February.

In early February 2009, weather predictions showed extreme fire danger for the State on 5th and 6th February. The extended weather outlook identified 7th February 2009 as a day of particular concern. The forecast noted that the Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) was predicted to be in excess of 80 on 7th February. Very strong winds were predicted, as were temperatures in the low 40 degree Celsius range. FDls were expected to peak early in the day. A cooler change was predicted for the late afternoon, with a marked temperature difference, but strong winds.

The three day Bureau Of Meteorology forecast included predictions of Fire Danger Index levels of 328 for 7th February 2009. The scale of this weather was potentially unprecedented and prompted CFA, DSE Fire and other emergency services to issue warnings to the Victorian community, through press conferences and media releases. This included urging people to avoid all unnecessary travel and the Premier of Victoria making a public announcement.

On the 7th February 2009, Victoria recorded its highest official record temperature of 48.8 degrees Celsius at Hopetoun in western Victoria, while Melbourne recorded a maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius. Northerly wind gusts were reported at 115kmh.

The fires on Black Saturday around the city of Melbourne peaked late in the afternoon after a wind change which caught many people without time to leave their towns. As you can see from the photo taken at 9.15pm (Daylight Saving Time), the firestorm was still raging late in the day. By the end of Black Saturday the fires had claimed a horrific toll. 173 people lost their lives in the fires that day and thousands of houses and other buildings were destroyed.