1967 proved to be a disastrous year for the city of Hobart . On 7 February 1967 , a combination of high winds , a heat wave , ill-conceived back-burning and deliberate arson led to the worst outbreak of urban bushfire in Hobart 's recorded history . The fires , which came to be known as ' Black Tuesday ' , swept down both shores of the Derwent River , driven by high winds , and destroyed countless homes and other property . 52 people were killed in the Hobart area alone , and 10 in other parts of the state . Until the disastrous Black Saturday bushfires of 2009 in Victoria , the 1967 Tasmanian bushfires represented Australia 's greatest loss of life on a single day outside of wartime
Black Saturday bushfires
Black Saturday bushfires
History of Hobart