‘Homes and schools destroyed. Settler’s wife in danger’ were the headlines in Melbourne’s The Argus newspaper after a fire swept through Monbulk on 5 February 1913.
On ‘Black Tuesday’ the Monbulk Village Settlement was scorched and blasted from end to end within the space of a few hours.
The fire started from South Wandin and was driven by the fierce north wind right through to The Patch.
The first home to catch fire was Dr McColl’s, but in a short space of time the houses of D. Hill, W. Nolan, Mrs Stanton, Gagg, T. Gay, Ward, J. Foster, F. Stewart (two houses), Currie, McKellar, James, Coombe, Blair and White were completely destroyed.
The McCarthy and Prior properties were also partly destroyed.
Mr Nugent, President of the Ferntree Gully Shire, lost fencing and two outbuildings.
At 4 o’clock, while most of the residents were fighting to save their dwellings, the fire swept around Mr. Roberts’ residence and the Mechanics’ Institute caught fire.
In a short time it was a smouldering ruin, and it looked as if Nation’s Store, opposite, would be ignited, but with plentiful supply of water the firefighters saved it.
For 15 years the settlers have been working to liquidate the debt on the Mechanics’ Institute and since that was accomplished a piano was bought.
The building was insured for £350. Its loss was a great blow to the district.
The seven-roomed residence of the State school teacher, Mr. Gregory, adjoined the Mechanics’
Institute, and was destroyed with the State school.
The properties, worth over £1,000, will be a total loss, as the Department does not insure its buildings.
Mr and Mrs Gagg, who lived on a ten acre allotment, had a tragic experience. Their house caught fire and seeing that it was impossible to save it, Mr Gagg, left his wife behind, released the two horses, and rushed off to the township, half a mile away, to get help.
During his absence the fire swept behind him, and for three hours it was impossible for him to get back to his home.
His terrified wife thought that he had been caught in the flames. She was horrified to see the flames leaping towards the dense raspberry plantation, in which the two horses had trotted for shelter.
In a few minutes, she saw them roasted to death, and the fire swept towards the outbuildings and demolished them in a few minutes.
The residence of the forest ranger, Mr O’Donohue, overlooking The Patch where most of the houses were burnt, said that at 9 o’clock the whole valley appeared to be a mass of flames.
The two roads leading to the township were both blocked with fallen logs.
At 9pm the fire was heading in the direction of South Sassafras (now Kallista) when there was a change of wind.
Settlers were kept in fear until midnight when the rain came and the danger was past.
The State School, Mechanics’ Institute, about 20 houses, and some bridges had been reduced to smoking ruins.
