Brief
Study links colonisation to Australia’s escalating mega‑fire crisis
A new Nature paper argues that the loss of Indigenous fire‑management after Captain Cook’s arrival has primed Australia for more severe bushfires.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Researchers published in Nature argue that the legacy of colonisation, rather than climate change alone, has made Australia’s forests more combustible, contributing to recent deadly mega‑fires. The study, led by Professor Michael‑Shawn Fletcher of the University of Melbourne, points to the cessation of Aboriginal cultural burning after European settlement as a key factor.
What happened
The paper traces a shift in fire regimes beginning with the arrival of British explorer James Cook in 1770. Aboriginal peoples had practiced low‑intensity burns for millennia, keeping undergrowth sparse. After colonisation, those practices were largely halted, allowing dense, highly flammable vegetation to accumulate. The authors cite the 2019‑2020 “Black Summer” fires as an example, during which 33 people died, more than 3,000 homes were destroyed, and roughly 93,000 square miles (24 million hectares) burned.
What the reports add
The Daily Mail article notes that the interval between major Australian wildfires has shrunk from about 40 years in the 1800s to roughly five years in the last decade. It also mentions a forecasted “Super El Niño” that could raise temperatures and further increase fire risk. While many scientists attribute the surge primarily to climate change, Fletcher’s team emphasizes that the loss of Indigenous burning practices has “loaded” forests with fuel, turning previously managed open woodlands into tinderboxes.
What was said
Professor Fletcher is quoted as saying, “The forest we protect there is in fact a product of colonisation, and it’s that legacy that now imperils its very survival.” The article attributes this statement to the Daily Mail’s coverage of the study.
How it came about
The research builds on earlier work documenting Aboriginal fire management and its ecological benefits. By comparing historical fire frequency with modern satellite data, the authors argue that the abrupt cessation of cultural burns after European settlement created conditions that amplify the impact of hotter, drier weather linked to climate change. The study adds a historical dimension to ongoing debates about Australia’s fire‑management policies.
Key facts
- A new study in Nature links the end of Aboriginal cultural burning after colonisation to increased fuel loads in Australian forests. (dailymail.co.uk)
- The interval between major Australian wildfires has fallen from about 40 years in the 1800s to roughly five years in the last decade. (dailymail.co.uk)
- During the 2019‑2020 Black Summer fires, 33 people were killed, over 3,000 homes destroyed, and about 93,000 square miles burned. (dailymail.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Scientists blame Captain Cook for Australia's deadly mega-fires”
