During the 1925–26 Victorian bushfire season a series of major bushfires occurred between 26 January and 10 March 1926 in the state of Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. A total of 60 people were killed, 700 injured, and 1000 buildings were destroyed across the south-east of the state.

On Sunday 14 February, later referred to as Black Sunday, bushfires swept across Gippsland

Gippsland

Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...

, the Yarra Valley

Yarra Valley

The Yarra Valley is the name given to the region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. The river originates approximately 90 kilometres east of the City of Melbourne and flows towards it and out into Port Phillip Bay...

, the Dandenong Ranges

Dandenong Ranges

The Dandenong Ranges are a set of low mountain ranges, rising to 633 metres at Mount Dandenong, approximately 35 km east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...

 and the Kinglake

Kinglake, Victoria

Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482...

 area. The fires had originated in forest areas on 26 January, but wind gusts of up to 97 km per hour led to the joining of the fire fronts on 14 February. In the Warburton

Warburton, Victoria

Warburton is a town in Victoria, Australia, 72 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Warburton had a population of 2288....

 area alone, 31 deaths were recorded including 14 at Wooley's Mill in Gilderoy

Gilderoy, Victoria

Gilderoy is a bounded rural locality in Victoria, Australia, on the Yarra Junction Noojee Road to the west of Powelltown. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges.-References:...

, 6 at Big Pats Creek

Big Pats Creek, Victoria

Big Pats Creek is a bounded rural locality in Victoria, Australia to the south of Woods Point Road beyond Warburton. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges.-References:...

 and 2 at Powelltown

Powelltown, Victoria

Powelltown is a town in Victoria, Australia, 70 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges. At the 2006 Census, Powelltown had a population of 201....

. Other affected settlements included Noojee

Noojee, Victoria

Noojee is a town in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, located north of Warragul and east of Melbourne, in the Baw Baw local government area. At the 2006 census, Noojee and the surrounding area had a population of 261....

, Erica

Erica, Victoria

Erica is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on Rawson Road, in the Shire of Baw Baw.The area was generally known as Upper Moondarra in the early 1900s, the township of Erica beginning to grow after construction of the railway line from Moe to Walhalla, which passed through the area...

 and Kinglake

Kinglake, Victoria

Kinglake is a town in Victoria, Australia situated in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. At the 2006 Census, Kinglake had a population of 1482...

,
where St Mary's Church and Thompson's Hotel were amongst the buildings destroyed.