Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™

LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Remembering Canberra's deadly fires of 2003

SBS News In Depth

Follow and Subscribe

The 74 inch telescope at Mt Stromlo Observatory built in 1922 lays gutted by the fires

The 74 inch telescope at the historic Mt Stromlo Observatory was gutted by the January 2003 bushfires in Canberra Source: Getty / Daniel Berehulak

It's been 20 years since wildfires ripped through the nation's capital, surprising emergency services and leaving behind it a path of destruction. Authorities say they've learned key lessons since, but concerns remain that the Rural Fire Service is under-equipped.

Follow and Subscribe

Apple Podcasts Spotify Listnr Download (3.73MB)
Download the SBS Audio appAvailable on iOS and Android

Published

By Hannah Kwon, Sara Tomevska

Presented by Hannah Kwon

Source: SBS News

Share this with family and friends

It's been 20 years since wildfires ripped through the nation's capital, surprising emergency services and leaving behind it a path of destruction. Authorities say they've learned key lessons since, but concerns remain that the Rural Fire Service is under-equipped.

Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts

Latest podcast episodes

Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world