LIST OF DISASTERS IN AUSTRALIA BY DEATH TOLL

This is a 'list of disasters in Australia sorted by death toll'

Contents

100 or more deaths

50 to 99 deaths

10 to 49 deaths

Significant incidents resulting in fewer than 10 deaths

Significant incidents of Australians being killed overseas

See also

References

External links

100 or more deaths

Disaster	Location	Deaths	Date	Notes
Epidemic	Australia-wide	12,000+	1918–1919	1918 Spanish Influenza epidemic Approximate death toll. Sydney was the worst affected area.[1]
Epidemic	Australia-wide	1,013	1946–1955	Polio epidemic[2]
Sea battle	Indian Ocean	645	19 November 1941	Sinking of HMAS ''Sydney'' Sunk with all hands after a battle with the German ship ''Kormoran''
Epidemic	Australia-wide	550	1900–1910	Bubonic plague [3]
Heat wave	Victoria	438	January 1939	Heatwave killed 438 and sparked the Black Friday bushfires (see below) [4]
Heat wave	South-eastern Australia	437	1895–1896	Widespread heatwave killed 437, including 47 in Bourke, New South Wales[5]
Cyclone	Bathurst Bay, Queensland	410	March 1889	Cyclone Mahina. Estimated toll[6]
Shipwreck	King Island, Tasmania	406	1845	''Cataraqui'' [1]
Shipwreck	coast near Murchison River, Western Australia	286	April 1712	''Zuytdorp''. There has been speculation that there were some survivors, helped by local Aborigines. [2] [3]
Sinking	Caloundra, Queensland	268	1943	Sinking of AHS ''Centaur''. Hospital ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine[7]
Heat wave	Southern states	246	December 1907-January 1908	[4]
Air raid	Darwin, Northern Territory	242	February 19, 1942	Bombing of Darwin. The first Japanese air raid against Australia. The toll may have been higher, itinerants and Aboriginal persons may be under represented in the official count.[8]
Prison break	Cowra, New South Wales	235-238	August 5, 1944	Cowra breakout. Escape by Japanese POWs [5] [6]
Shipwreck	King Island, Tasmania	224	May 13, 1835	''Neva'' [7] [8]
Shipwreck	Perth, Western Australia	186	April 1656	''Vergulde Draeck''[9]
Cyclone/Sinking	Western Australia	149	March 1, 1912	''SS Koombana'' [10] [11]
Heatwaves	Australia-wide	147	1920–1921	[12]
Heatwaves	Australia-wide	143+	1911–1912	[13]
Cyclone	Broome, Western Australia	141	March 1935	Pearling fleet devastated [14]
Cyclone	Eighty Mile Beach, Western Australia	140	1884	Pearling fleet sunk [15]
Shipwreck	D'Entrecasteaux Channel, Tasmania	133	April 12, 1835	''George III'' [16]
Shipwreck	Cape York, Queensland	133	February 28, 1890	''Quetta'' [17]
Heatwave	Southern states	130	1926–1927	[18]
Shipwreck/Massacre	Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia	125+	June-July 1629	''Batavia'' . Mutineers murdered 125 other passengers. The death toll of 125 does not include the mutineers, of whom 7 were immediately hanged and 2 were cast away when Captain Pelsaert returned. Most of the remaining mutineers were later executed.[9]
Heatwave	Australia-wide	122+	1913–1914	[19]
Cyclone/Sinking	North-eastern Queensland	122	March 16, 1911	SS ''Yongala''[20]
Shipwreck	Sydney, New South Wales	121	August 20, 1857	''Dunbar''. 1 survivor. [21]
Heatwave	Australia-wide	112	1939–1940	[22]
Heatwave	Australia-wide	109	1909–1910	[23]
Heatwave	Southern regions, Australia	105+	1959	One source puts death toll at 145 [24] [25] [26]
Cyclone/sinking	Ayr, Queensland	102-112	February 24, 1875	''Gothenburg''. Records of passengers vary [27] [28] [29]
Massacre	Richmond River, New South Wales	100	January 1846	Massacre of Aborigines [30]

50 to 99 deaths

Disaster	Location	Deaths	Date	Notes
Heatwave	Southern regions Australia	99	December 1972 to February 1973	[31]
Cyclone	Northern Queensland	99	March 1934	Cyclone and 9.1 m storm surge [32]
Explosion	Mount Kembla, New South Wales	96	July 31, 1902	Mount Kembla Colliery gas explosion. Coal mine gas explosion [33]
Shipwreck	Monte Bello Islands, Western Australia	93	April 23, 1622	''Tryall''. Earliest recorded Australian shipwreck [34]
Flood	Gundagai, New South Wales	89	June 24, 1852	[35]
Shipwreck	near Carpenter Rocks, in South East South Australia	89	August 6, 1859	Shipwreck of SS Admella. [36]South Australia's worst loss of life
Air raid	Broome, Western Australia	88	March 3, 1942	Air raid on Broome. Japanese fighter planes strafed the town. Official toll; may not include some refugees from the Dutch East Indies.
Rail accident	Sydney, New South Wales	83	January 18, 1977	Granville railway disaster. Derailment followed by bridge collapse
Sinking	twenty miles south-east of Jervis Bay, New South Wales	82	February 10, 1964	HMAS ''Voyager''. Sank after collision with HMAS Melbourne
Explosion	Bulli, New South Wales	81	March 23, 1887	Bulli Colliery coal mine gas explosion [37]
Shipwreck	King Island, Tasmania	79	May 23, 1874	''British Admiral''[38]
Cyclone	Queensland coast, particularly Innisfail	77+	March 10, 1918	Cyclone and storm surge with death toll estimated between 77 and 100. [39]
Flood	Clermont, Queensland	65	December 27, 1916	[40]
Storms	New South Wales between Port Stephens and Sydney	77	July 12, 1866	60 lives lost on SS Cawarra alone. [41]
Explosion	Mount Mulligan, Queensland	76	September 16, 1921	Mount Mulligan coal dust explosion [42]
Bushfire	Victoria, South Australia	75	1983	Ash Wednesday fires [43]
Sinking	South China Sea	74	June 3, 1969	Collision of USS ''Frank E. Evans'' and HMAS ''Melbourne''. US destroyer sank after colliding with HMAS ''Melbourne''
Shipwreck	Green Cape	71	May 31, 1886	''Ly-Ee-Moon'' [44]
Bushfire	Victoria	71	January 13, 1939	Black Friday bushfires
Cyclone	Darwin	71	December 24, 1974	Cyclone Tracy destroys city of Darwin. On 17 March 2005, a Northern Territory Coroner's Inquest outcome increased the official death toll from 65 to 71. [45]
Bushfire	Tasmania	62	1967	1967 Tasmanian fires
Cyclone	near Roebourne and Geraldton, Western Australia	61-71	1894	Estimated toll includes those lost at sea and those killed in flooding at Geraldton [46]
Shipwreck	Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia	60	1727	''Zeewyk''. Approximate death toll [47]
Shipwreck	Newcastle, New South Wales	60	July 12, 1866	SS Cawarra sank during storm in Newcastle Harbour.
Bushfire	Victoria	60	February-March 1926	[48]
Cyclone	Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia	59-69	1875–1876	Most casualties were at sea [49] [50]
Shipwreck	Mutton Bird Island, off the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria	53	June 1, 1878	''Loch Ard''. Sources vary on exact death toll (2 survivors). [51] [52]
Bushfire	Victoria	51	1943–1944	[53]
Shipwreck	Brisbane, Queensland	50	February 1896	''Pearl'' [54]
Cyclone	Around Broome, Western Australia	50	1908	[55]

10 to 49 deaths

Disaster	Location	Deaths	Date	Notes
Cyclonic effects	North coast, New South Wales	46	1923	[56]
Rail accident	Sunshine, Victoria	44	1908	Sunshine train disaster. Rear end collision
Air Disaster	near Mackay, Queensland	40	June 14, 1943	USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress crashes shortly after take-off.
Fire	Queenstown, Tasmania	42+	1912	1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster. Mine fire. True toll may be higher due to subsequent deaths from the effects of the fire [57]
Shipwreck	near Edithburgh, South Australia	40	January 31, 1909	''Clan Ranald'' [58] [59]
Sinking	Sydney	40-42	November 3, 1927	Sydney ferry disaster [60] [61]
Shipwreck	Cardwell, Queensland	36	1872	Shipwreck ''Maria''. Some of the survivors were killed by Aborigines although others were helped [62] [63]
Flood	Melbourne suburbs and Southern Victoria	35	November 29 to December 01, 1934	Torrential rainfall of up to 350mm.Yarra River becomes raging torrent. Extensive damage with 35 dead, 250 injured and 3000 homeless.[64][65]
Massacre	Port Arthur, Tasmania	35	April 28, 1996	Port Arthur massacre. Shooting massacre
Shipwreck	Cheviot Beach, Victoria	35	October 20, 1887	''SS Cheviot''
Bridge collapse	Melbourne	35	October 15, 1970	West Gate Bridge. 35 construction workers died due to a collapse during construction[10]
Road accident	Kempsey, New South Wales	35	December 22, 1989	Kempsey bus crash . Two tourist coaches collided head-on [66]
Shipwreck	Kangaroo Island, South Australia	32	September 1905	''Loch Vennachar'' [67]
Cyclone	Queensland coast, particularly Mackay	30	January 1918	Mackay Cyclone[68] [69]
Fire	Melbourne	30	August 13, 1966	William Booth Memorial Hostel fire. Convalescent home for men [70].
Air disaster	Mackay	29	1960	TAA Fokker Friendship disaster. Crashed into sea
Cyclone/sinking.	Western Australia	29	April 1991	Cyclone Fife. 27 lost in shipwreck of ''Mineral Diamond'' [71] [72]
Riot and insurrection	Ballarat, Victoria	28	December 3, 1854	Eureka Stockade. Exact death toll remains unknown.
Massacre	Myall Creek, near Inverell, New South Wales	28	June 9, 1838	Myall Creek massacre. 28 Aboriginal people killed by white stockmen [73]
Cyclone	Darwin, Northern Territory	28	January 1897	[74] [75]
Air accident	York near Perth	28	June 26, 1950	ANA Skymaster Amana crash. 1 survivor [76]
Shipwreck/Massacre	Coorong, South Australia	26	1840	''Maria''. Survivors killed by Aborigines, possibly after making sexual advances [77]. Exactly what took place remains controversial.
Air accident	Cleveland Bay, Townsville, Queensland	27	7 August 1943	C-47 Dakota plane crash. Plane crashed after takeoff [78].
Cyclone	Gold Coast and northern New South Wales	26	February 1954	[11]
Air accident	Port Hedland, Western Australia	26	1968	Port Hedland plane crash. In-flight break up
Explosion	Wagga Wagga at the Kapooka Army Base soldiers received instruction of demolition work in a bunker which was 3 metres below the ground when an explosion took place.	26	May 21, 1945	[12]
Flood	Hunter Valley, New South Wales	25	February 1955	1955 Hunter Valley floods. Most deaths were around Singleton and Maitland, but most other river systems in the state were also in flood [79] [80]
Rail accident	Wodonga, Victoria	25	1943	Train hit bus carrying army personnel [81]
Air accident	Seven Mile Beach, near Hobart	25	March 1946	Australian National Airways plane [82]
Air accident	Winton, Queensland	24	September 22 1966	Ansett-ANA Viscount disaster. VH-RMI enroute Mount Isa - Longreach
Shipwreck	Gosford	24	May 6, 1898	''Maitland''[83]
Bushfire	Southern regions of Victoria	23	January 1969	280 fires. 17 casualties at Lara [84].
Mine disaster	Creswick, Central Victoria	22	December 12 1882	''New Australasia'' gold mine. 44 miners trapped when a flooded mine shaft is breached. 22 men drown. [85]
Flood	Northern Tasmania	22	April 1929	Eight drowned when truck ploughed into river and 14 died when dam collapsed and wall swept into town [86]
Heatwave	South-east Queensland	22	January 2000	[87]
Road accident	Grafton, New South Wales	21	October 20, 1989	Grafton bus crash. A head-on collision between a tourist [88] coach and a truck
Shipwreck	Trial Bay, New South Wales	19-21	September 1816	[89]
Shipwreck	Smokey Cape, New South Wales	21	August 25, 1969	''Noongah'' sank
Air accident	Mossman, Queensland	20	September 7, 1944	Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force Douglas C-47 Dakota crashes en-route between Merauke, Dutch East Indies and Cairns.
Fire	Kings Cross, New South Wales	19	August 25, 1981	Rembrant Hotel.[90]
Shipwreck	Adelaide, South Australia	18+	July 13, 1888	''Star of Greece''. Exact number of lives lost uncertain [91]
Road accident	Tumut Pond, New South Wales	18	September 1, 1973	Brake failure caused bus to plummet into reservoir [92]
Air accident	Townsville, Queensland	18	June 12, 1996	Army Blackhawk helicopters collided [93]
Landslide	Thredbo, New South Wales	18	1997	1997 Thredbo landslide
Air accident	Dandenongs, Victoria	18	1938	1938 Kyeema Crash
Rail accident	Brooklyn, New South Wales	17	1944	Train ploughed into bus at Hawksbury River station [94]
Rail accident	Wasleys Crossing, near Gawler, South Australia	17	April 12, 1970	Wasleys Crossing (Gawler) disaster. Bus collided with a passenger train [95]
Explosion	Ipswich, Queensland	17	July 31, 1972	Mine gas explosion in the Box Flat Colliery [96]
Heatwave	South-Eastern regions, Australia	17	February 1993	Possibility of additional unreported deaths [97]
Rail accident	Camp Mountain, Queensland	16	May 5, 1947	Camp Mountain train disaster. A crowded picnic train derailed on bend
Fire	Sylvania Heights, New South Wales	16	April 29, 1981	Pacific Nursing Home fire. [98]
Air accident	Botany Bay, New South Wales	15	November 30, 1961	Ansett-ANA Viscount plane crash. All occupants (11 passengers and 4 crew) died. [99]
Fire	Kings Cross, New South Wales	15	December 25, 1975	Savoy Hotel Fire. Arson [100]
Shipwreck	near Cape Schanck, Victoria	15	December 28, 1893	''SS Alert''
Fire	Fortitude Valley, Queensland	15	March 8, 1973	Whiskey Au Go Go fire. Arson
Cyclone/Sinking	near Carnarvon, Western Australia	15	1979	Cyclone Hazel [101]
Heatwave	South-eastern regions of Australia	15	February 1981	[102]
Air accident	Lockhart River, Queensland	15	May 7, 2005	Lockhart River plane crash [103]
Fire	Childers, Queensland	15	June 2000	Robert Long received a life sentence for starting the fire at Childers Palace backpackers hostel [104] [105]
Bushfire	Dandenong Ranges and Lara, Victoria	14 ★	January 14 - January 16, 1962	★ 14 casualties[106] [107]. or 32? [108] [109]. Other sources state 9 casualties [110].
Bushfires	Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra, New South Wales	14 ★	January 1968	★ Sources vary on death toll but most say 14 [111].
Cyclone	Whitsunday Islands, Queensland	14	January 1970	Cyclone Ada
Cyclone	Brisbane, Queensland	14	January 27, 1974	1974 Brisbane flood. Cyclone Wanda [112]
Explosion	Appin, New South Wales	14	July 24, 1979	Appin Colliery Gas Explosion during a pre-plannedventilation change[13]
Explosion	Wonthaggi, Victoria	13	February 15, 1937	Dalyson Colliery[113]
Air accident	Tamworth, New South Wales	13	January 1960	[114]
Explosion	Kianga, near Moura, Queensland	13	September 20, 1975	Kianga Mine explosion [115]
Air accident	Sydney Airport	13	February 21, 1980	Light aircraft suffers engine failure [116]
Air accident	near Alice Springs, Northern Territory	13	August 13, 1989	Collision between 2 hot air balloons [117]
Earthquake	Newcastle, New South Wales	13	December 28, 1989	1989 Newcastle earthquake
Bushfire	Gippsland, Victoria	12	1 February 1898	"Red Tuesday" bushfires. 2,600 km² burnt, 12 people killed, 2000 buildings destroyed.[118]
Bushfire	Victoria – Portland, Plenty Ranges, Westernport, Wimmera and Dandenong districts	12 ★	6 February 1851	"Black Thursday" bushfires. ★ Approximately 12 fatalities, one million sheep, thousands of cattle, 50000 km² burnt.[119]
Shipwreck	Calgardup Bay, Western Australia	12	December 1, 1876	''SS Georgette'' [120]
Bridge collapse	Hobart, Tasmania	12	1975	Tasman Bridge disaster. The bulk ore carrier ''Lake Illawarra'' collided with the bridge, causing a section to fall onto the vessel. 7 crewmen died as the ship sank. 5 people perished as their cars plummeted off the edge.
Explosion	Moura, Queensland	12	July 16, 1986	Explosion in Moura No 4 Mine[14]
Fire	Dungog, New South Wales	12	August 2, 1991	Palm Grove Hostel fire[121]
Rail accident	Near Kerang, Victoria	11	June 5, 2007	Kerang train crash. A V/Line train collides with a truck at a level crossing, [122]
Road accident	Boondall, Queensland	12	October 1, 1994	Boondall bus crash[123]
Rail accident	Near Horsham, Victoria	11	February 24, 1951	A train collides with a bus at a level crossing, [124]
Air accident	Mount Emerald, Queensland	11	May 11, 1990	[125]
Bushfire	Victoria	10	January 1965	[15]
Air Accident	Canberra	10	13 August 1940	Senior War Cabinet Ministers, Chief of Staff and others killed when a plane crashed in fine weather.[16]
Storm/Flood	Hunter and Central Coast regions, NSW	10	8 - 11 June 2007	Storm and flooding [126]
Heatwave	Eastern and Southern regions Australia	10+	January-February 1997	Strong likelihood of additional unreported deaths [127]

Significant incidents resulting in fewer than 10 deaths

Disaster	Location	Deaths	Date	Notes
Rail accident	Near Traveston railway station, Queensland	9	9 June 1925	9 died and 48 injured when a passenger car and luggage van of the Rockhampton Mail plunged off a high trestle bridge.[17]
Rail accident	Violet Town, Victoria	9	7 February 1969	Violet Town railway disaster. Head on collision after driver died at controls[18]
Landslide	Gracetown, Western Australia	9	September 27, 1996	5 adults and 4 children died when a cliff face collapsed at Cowaramup Bay near Gracetown (Margaret River) [128] [129]
Air accident	Williamtown, NSW-Lord Howe Island	9	2 October 1994	Seaview Air Aero Commander 690 crashes between Williamtown, NSW and Lord Howe Island.[19]
Bushfire	Eyre Peninsula, South Australia	9	January 11, 2005	Eyre Peninsula bushfires. Worst bushfires since Ash Wednesday fires [131]
Massacre	Melbourne	9	December 8, 1987	Queen Street massacre. Shooting massacre
Bushfire	Wandillo, South Australia	8	April 1958	8 firefighters died
Bushfire	Western Victoria	8	February 1977	Around Streatham was the worst affected area[20]
Air accident	Off Whyalla, South Australia	8	2000	Whyalla Airlines Disaster. All on board drowned, Chris Schuppan's body was never recovered
Serial killing	Remains discovered in Snowtown, South Australia	8	1999	Snowtown murders. [21]
Explosion	Off Dampier, Western Australia	8	November 18, 2001	''Nigo Kim'' cargo ship explosion. [132]
Flood	Canberra	7	26 January, 1971	1971 Canberra flood. Seven motorists were killed when their cars were swept into a creek [133]
Fire	Sydney	7	June 9 1979	Fire engulfs the Ghost Train ride at Luna Park Sydney. Recent evidence suggests this may have been arson.[22]
Serial killing	Remains discovered in bushland near Truro, South Australia	7	1977	Truro murders
Massacre	Milperra, New South Wales	7	1984	Milperra massacre. Shooting massacre
Massacre	Clifton Hill, Victoria	7	1987	Hoddle Street massacre. Shooting massacre
Massacre	Central Sydney	7	1992	Central Coast Massacre. Shooting massacre
Flood	Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria	7	1990	Nyngan and Charleville Flood. More than a million square kilometres of flooding [134]
Massacre	Strathfield, New South Wales	7	1991	Strathfield Massacre
Cyclone	Around Cairns, Queensland	7	March 1997	Cyclone Justin. 1 death from landslide. There were also 26 deaths from the same cyclone in PNG. [135]
Rail accident	Glenbrook, New South Wales	7	1999	Glenbrook train disaster. Collision after "Stop and Proceed"
Heatwave	around Adelaide, South Australia	7	February 2000	[136]
Rail accident	Waterfall, New South Wales	7	2003	Waterfall train disaster. Excessive speed after driver died at the controls[23]
Industrial accident	Spotswood, Victoria	6	1895	Spotswood Sewer Disaster. The drilling of an underground sewer in Melbourne went too close to the Yarra River.[24]
Landslide	Between Blackwood, South Australia and Belair, South Australia	6	January 31, 1928	Hills Railway line disaster. Railway embankment collapsed during tunnel demolition[25]
Flood	Sydney and Penrith, New South Wales	6	February to March 1978	[137]
Flood	Hawkesbury, New South Wales	6	August 1986	Hawkesbury and Georges River Flood[138]
Air accident	Essendon, Victoria	6	September 3, 1986	Air Ambulance Cessna (call signal RED) crashed on take off after single engine failure.[139]
Flood/cyclone	Southern Queensland and northern New South Wales	6	February 1990	Drowning deaths caused by Cyclone Nancy[140]
Rail accident	Brooklyn, New South Wales	6	May 6, 1990	commuter train crashed into a stalled chartered steam train [141]
Maritime accident	Tasman Sea	6	1998	1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. 5 boats sank and 6 people died
Battle	Broken Hill, New South Wales	6	January 1, 1915	Battle of Broken Hill. Two Turkish immigrants open fire on a train carrying picnickers [26]
Road accident	Cardross, near Mildura, Victoria	6	18 February, 2006	Cardross road accident. Car ploughs into group of teenagers, driver flees
Fire	Kings Cross, New South Wales	6	17 September, 1989	Downunder Hostel Fire. Arson attack [143]
Air accident	Willowbank, Queensland	5	January 2, 2006	Skydiving Cessna 206 plane crash. [144]
Mass Murder	Inland Hotel in Yulara, Northern Territory	5	18 August 1983	Douglas Crabbe rammed his 25-ton Mack truck through a hotel wall[27]
Sinking	North of Bermagui, New South Wales	5	October 9, 1890	Mystery Bay disappearance. Crew of a small boat disappears off the NSW south coast.
Landslide	Cairns, Queensland	5	May 31, 1900	Riverstone landslide. Tramway cutting caves in on workers [145]
Rail accident	Sydenham, New South Wales	5	1953	Sydenham Rail Disaster. Wrong side failure causes rear end collision of two trains
Heatwave	Southern South Australia and northern Victoria	5+	January 1990	Likelihood of additional unreported deaths [146]
Heatwave	Townsville region	5	January 1994	[147]
Bushfire	Linton, Victoria	5	1998	Linton bushfire. Wildfire engulfs five volunteer firefighters[28]
Rail accident	Salisbury railway station, Adelaide	4	24 October, 2002	The Ghan passenger train hit a car and a bus at a busy level crossing at Salisbury, in Adelaide's north. [148]
Sinking	Cairns, Queensland	4	September 13, 1947	''HMAS Warrnambool''. Sunk after hitting a mine left over from WW2 [149]
Flood/cyclone	North and Central Coast, Queensland	4-5	December 1990 and January 1991	Extensive damage from flooding caused by Cyclone Joy [150] [151]
Heatwave	Melbourne	4+	December 1990	Likelihood of additional unreported deaths [152]
Bushfire	Eastern Seaboard, New South Wales	4	January 1994	Over 800 bushfires. 3 of the dead were firefighters [153]
Flood	Southern Queensland and Northern New South Wales	4	May 1996	[29]
Sinking	Sydney Harbour	4	March 28, 2007	HarbourCat ferry ''Pam Burridge'' collides with pleasure cruiser ''Merinda''. [30] [31]
Landslide	Cradle Mountain National Park	4	February 18, 2001	4 people died when landslide causes a bus to fall into a ravine [154]
Air accident	Toowoomba, Queensland	4	November 27, 2001	Plane hit powerlines [155]
Bushfire	Canberra	4	January 18, 2003	2003 Canberra bushfires. Bushfire reaches capital city suburbs[32]
Fire	Indian Ocean	4	May 5, 1998	''HMAS Westralia''. Unsuitable fuel hose in engine room bursts, spraying diesel which ignites, creating a fireball below deck. [156]
Air accident	Newman, Western Australia	4	January 26, 2001	Fuel starvation on Western Australia Police aircraft. [157]
Serial killing	Melbourne	3+		Peter Dupas [33]
Mass murder	Melbourne, Victoria	3+	23 January 1924	Shooting massacre at Botanical Gardens by Norman Alfred List[158]
Road accident/fire	Melbourne	3	March 23, 2007	Burnley Tunnel Fire. Traffic accident resulting in explosion and fire [159]
Air accident	Tambo	3	March 24, 1927	Qantas de Havilland DH-9C crash [160]
Terrorism	Sydney	3	February 13, 1978	Sydney Hilton bombing. Bomb explosion outside Sydney Hilton Hotel during the CHOGM [161]
Serial killing	Claremont, Western Australia	3	1990s	Claremont serial killer
Serial killing	Frankston, Victoria	3	1990s	Paul Denyer
Cyclone	south of Innisfail, Queensland	3	February 1986	Category 3 Cyclone Winifred in region from Cairns to Ingham[162] [163]
Cyclone	Townsville, Queensland	3	December 1971	Cyclone Althea. Cyclone and storm surge [164]
Flood	Katherine, Northern Territory	3	January 1998	Flooding cause by ex-tropical cyclone Les [165]
Severe storm	Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Sydney and central western regions	3	November 2001	[166]

Significant incidents of Australians being killed overseas

Excludes deaths attributable to war.

Disaster	Location	Deaths	Date	Notes
Terrorism	Kuta, Bali, Indonesia	89	October 12, 2002	2002 Bali Bombing
Air accident	Kallang Airport, Singapore	up to 31	March 13, 1954	BOAC Lockheed Constellation flying from Sydney crashes on landing.
Tsunami	Thailand and Sri Lanka	26	December 26, 2004	2004 Boxing Day tsunami
Flood	Interlaken, Switzerland	14	July 28, 1999	Flash flood hits canyoning expedition
Terrorism	New York City and Arlington County, United States	11	September 11, 2001	September 11, 2001 attacks.
Air accident	Nias Island, Indonesia	9	April 2, 2005	Naval helicopter Shark 02 crashed while providing relief services to victims of the 2005 Sumatra earthquake
Road accident	Outside Cairo, Egypt	6	January 11, 2006	Bus swerves and flips on major highway
Air accident	Near Suva, Fiji	6	July 24, 1999	Air Fiji Bandeirante hits mountain ridge
Air accident	Yogyakarta, Indonesia	5	March 7, 2007	Garuda Indonesia flight 200
Bridge collapse	Ramat Gan, Israel	4	July 14, 1997	Maccabiah Games bridge disaster
Terrorism	Jimbaran and Kuta, Bali, Indonesia	4	October 1, 2005	2005 Bali Bombings
Air accident	near Goroka, Papua New Guinea	4	June 17, 1999	Airlink Embraer Bandeirante crashes on approach
Fire	Manoharpur, Orissa, India	3	January 22, 1999	Australian missionary and sons killed in arson attack.
Air accident	Taipei, Taiwan	2	October 31, 2000	Singapore Airlines Flight 006 collides with construction machinery on runway while taking off.
Air accident	Long Island Sound, United States	2	June 27, 2005	Private light plane crash
Shootings	Balibo, Portugese Timor	2	October 16, 1975	Indonesian military shoot at journalists ("Balibo Five") during incursion into Portuguese Timor
Air accident	Near Hawaii, United States	2	February 24, 1989	United Airlines flight between Honolulu and Auckland experiences explosive decompression
Terrorism	Roermond, Netherlands	2	May 27, 1990	IRA shootings, caused by mistaken identity
Air accident	Bay of Bengal	2	November 8, 1935	''Lady Southern Cross'', piloted by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, crashes en-route between Allahabad, India and Singapore.
Avalanche	Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand	2	December 31, 2003	Avalanche hits party climbing Mount Tasman

See also

★ List of shipwrecks

★ Timeline of major crimes in Australia

★ List of massacres of indigenous Australians

★ List of United Kingdom disasters by death toll

References

1. Emergency Management Australia, Disaster Database, Accessed February 22, 2006
2. Emergency Management Australia, Disaster Database, Accessed February 22, 2006
3. Emergency Management Australia, Disaster Database, Accessed February 22, 2006
4. Emergency Management Australia
5. Emergency Management Australia, Disaster Database, Accessed February 22, 2006
6. Emergency Management Australia, Disaster Database, Accessed February 22, 2006
7. The sinking of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur
8. National Archives of Australia, Fact Sheet 195, The bombing of Darwin
9. Australian Broadcasting Commission, Shipwrecks
10. Westgate Bridge Memorial Committee
11. Bureau of Meteorology, Gold Coast cyclone, February 1954
12. Wagga Wagga City Council, 4. Bomb Site at Kapooka
13. Illawarra Coal
14. Mining Wardens Court, Accessed February 22, 2006
15. Emergency Management Australia
16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canberra_air_disaster,_1940
17. Chapter 3: The Sunshine Route - Brisbane to Bundaberg Retrieved from the Internet Archive on 2006-06-09.
18. The South Western Rail Society, History of "Southern Aurora" Dining Car 'RMS 2360', Accessed February 22, 2006
19. [130], Williamtown-Lord Howe Island, NSW Light Aircraft Crash, Accessed March 14, 2006
20. Victoria State Emergency Service
21. Sadists get life, The Age, September 9, 2003
22. Niece links Abe Saffron to Luna Park deaths Kate McClymont
23. Waterfall train had mind of its own, The Sydney Morning Herald, May 10, 2003
24. Westgate Bridge Memorial Committee, Spotswood Sewer Disaster
25. Geoscience Australia
26. [142], ABC, February 23, 2004
27. The Untold Suffering of Victims of Crime, Darwin Research Centre
28. Reducing the Risk of Entrapment in Wildfires: A case study of the Linton fire, 2 December 1998, Country Fire Authority
29. Emergency Management Australia, Disaster Database, Accessed February 22, 2006
30. "Warning that failed to stop death in the dark" - Vallejo, Justin and Gee, Steven ''Daily Telegraph'' 30 March 2007
31. "A nightmare of blood, terror and shattered lives" - Watson, Rhett, Chesterton, Andrew and Yamine, Evelyn ''Daily Telegraph" 30 March 2007
32. Firestorm truth buried in the ashes, ''The Age'', February 6, 2005
33. Dupas guilty of second killing, The Age, August 12, 2004

External links

★ Emergency Management Australia Disasters Database

★ Major bushfires in Victoria (PDF)