List of Disasters in Australia By Death Toll - 10 To 49 Deaths

10 To 49 Deaths

Disaster Location Deaths Date Notes
Cyclonic effects North coast, New South Wales 46 1923
Rail accident Sunshine, Victoria 44 1908 Sunshine train disaster. Rear end collision
Air Disaster near Mackay, Queensland 40 14 June 1943 Bakers Creek air crash. 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
Shipwreck near Edithburgh, South Australia 40 31 January 1909 SS Clan Ranald
Sinking Sydney 40-42 3 November 1927 Sydney ferry disaster
Flooding Queensland 38 + 6 missing presumed dead December 2010-January 2011 2010–2011 Queensland floods
Shipwreck Cardwell, Queensland 36 1872 Shipwreck Maria. Some of the survivors were killed by Aborigines although others were helped
Flood Melbourne suburbs and Southern Victoria 35 29 November to 1 December 1934 Torrential rainfall of up to 350 mm. Yarra River becomes raging torrent. Extensive damage with 35 dead, 250 injured, and 3,000 homeless.
Shooting Port Arthur, Tasmania 35 28 April 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Shipwreck Jervis Bay, New South Wales, 35 1 September 1876 The steamer Dandenong lost during severe storm.
Shipwreck Cheviot Beach, Victoria 35 20 October 1887 SS Cheviot
Bridge collapse Melbourne 35 15 October 1970 West Gate Bridge. 35 construction workers died due to a collapse during construction
Road accident Kempsey, New South Wales 35 22 December 1989 Kempsey bus crash. Two tourist coaches collided head-on
Cyclone Queensland coast, particularly Mackay 30 January 1918 Mackay Cyclone
Shipwreck near Southend, south east South Australia 31 14 June 1876 Geltwood. Wreck not found for two weeks. No survivors.
Shipwreck off Wilsons Promontory in Bass Strait 31 1 December 1935 SS Paringa Sunk during storm while towing another vessel. All officers and crew lost.
Fire Melbourne 30 13 August 1966 William Booth Memorial Hostel fire. Convalescent home for men
Air accident York near Perth 29 26 June 1950 1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash.
Air accident Mackay 29 10 June 1960 TAA Fokker Friendship disaster. Crashed into sea.
Cyclone/sinking. Western Australia 29 April 1991 Cyclone Fife. 27 lost in shipwreck of Mineral Diamond
Riot and insurrection Ballarat, Victoria 28 3 December 1854 Eureka Stockade. Exact death toll remains unknown.
Massacre Myall Creek, near Inverell, New South Wales 28 9 June 1838 Myall Creek massacre. 28 Aboriginal people killed by white stockmen
Cyclone Darwin, Northern Territory 28 January 1897
Shipwreck Kangaroo Island, South Australia 27 September 1905 Loch Vennachar
Air accident Cleveland Bay, Townsville, Queensland 27 7 August 1943 C-47 Dakota plane crash. Plane crashed after takeoff.
Shipwreck/Massacre Coorong, South Australia 26 1840 Maria. Survivors murdered. Exactly what took place remains controversial.
Explosion Wagga Wagga, New South Wales 26 21 May 1945 Kapooka Army Base soldiers received instruction of demolition work in a bunker which was 3 metres (9.8 ft) below the ground when an explosion took place which resulted in Australia's largest military funeral.
Cyclone Gold Coast and northern New South Wales 26 February 1954
Air accident Port Hedland, Western Australia 26 31 December 1968 In-flight break up of MacRobertson Miller Airlines Flight 1750 (Vickers Viscount)
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.
Rail accident Wodonga, Victoria 25 1943 Train hit bus carrying army personnel
Air accident Seven-Mile Beach, near Hobart 25 March 1946 1946 Australian National Airways DC-3 crashed into the sea.
Air accident Winton, Queensland 24 22 September 1966 Ansett-ANA Viscount disaster. Flight 149 en route Mount Isa - Longreach
Shipwreck Gosford 24 6 May 1898 Maitland
Air accident Kudjeru Gap, in the Australian territory of Papua New Guinea 24 August 1972 RAAF Caribou aircraft crashes in rugged mountainous country en route from Lae to Port Moresby, killing 24 of the 28 people on board.
Bushfire Southern regions of Victoria 23 January 1969 280 fires. 17 casualties at Lara
Mine disaster Creswick, Central Victoria 22 12 December 1882 New Australasia gold mine. 44 miners trapped when a flooded mine shaft is breached. 22 men drown.
Flood Northern Tasmania 22 April 1929 Eight drowned when truck ploughed into river and 14 died when dam collapsed and wall swept into town
Heatwave South-east Queensland 22 January 2000
Road accident Grafton, New South Wales 21 20 October 1989 Grafton bus crash. A head-on collision between a tourist coach and a truck.
Air accident Coolangatta, Queensland 21 10 March 1949 1949 Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crash - aircraft crashed shortly after take-off due to incorrect loading.
Shipwreck Trial Bay, New South Wales 19-21 September 1816
Shipwreck Smokey Cape, New South Wales 21 25 August 1969 Noongah sank
Shipwreck off Gabo Island, Bass Strait 21 1 March 1901 SS Federal vanished without trace. All crewmembers lost.
Air accident Mossman, Queensland 20 7 September 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 25 August 1981 Rembrant Hotel.
Shipwreck Adelaide, South Australia 18+ 13 July 1888 Star of Greece. Exact number of lives lost uncertain.
Road accident Tumut Pond, New South Wales 18 1 September 1973 Brake failure caused bus to plummet into reservoir
Air accident Townsville, Queensland 18 12 June 1996 Two Army Blackhawk helicopters collided
Landslide Thredbo, New South Wales 18 30 July 1997 1997 Thredbo landslide
Air accident Perth Airport 18 2 July 1949 1949 MacRobertson Miller Aviation DC-3 crash - aircraft crashed a minute after take-off, killing all 18 people on board.
Air accident Dandenongs, Victoria 18 25 October 1938 1938 Kyeema Crash
Rail accident Brooklyn, New South Wales 17 1944 Train ploughed into bus at Hawkesbury River station
Rail accident Wasleys Crossing, near Gawler, South Australia 17 12 April 1970 Wasleys Crossing (Gawler) disaster. Bus collided with a passenger train
Explosion Ipswich, Queensland 17 31 July 1972 Mine gas explosion in the Box Flat Colliery
Heatwave South-Eastern regions, Australia 17 February 1993 Possibility of additional unreported deaths
Shipwreck Bass Strait Victorian coast 16 29 November 1934 SS Coramba left Warrnambool for Melbourne and was never seen again. Believed lost during storm.
Rail accident Camp Mountain, Queensland 16 5 May 1947 Camp Mountain train disaster. A crowded picnic train derailed on bend
Fire Sylvania Heights, New South Wales 16 29 April 1981 Pacific Nursing Home fire.
Air accident Botany Bay, New South Wales 15 30 November 1961 Ansett-ANA Flight 325 - Vickers Viscount aeroplane crash. All on board died.
Fire Kings Cross, New South Wales 15 25 December 1975 Savoy Hotel fire. Arson
Shipwreck near Cape Schanck, Victoria 15 28 December 1893 SS Alert
Fire Fortitude Valley, Queensland 15 8 March 1973 Whiskey Au Go Go fire. Arson
Cyclone/Sinking near Carnarvon, Western Australia 15 1979 Cyclone Hazel
Heatwave South-eastern regions of Australia 15 February 1981
Air accident Lockhart River, Queensland 15 7 May 2005 In the Lockhart River air disaster an aeroplane crashed on approach to land, killing all on board.
Fire Childers, Queensland 15 June 2000 Robert Long received a life sentence for starting the Childers Palace backpackers hostel fire
Bushfire Dandenong Ranges and Lara, Victoria 14* 14–16 January 1962 Casualty numbers vary between 9, 14, and 32.
Bushfires Sydney, Blue Mountains and Illawarra, New South Wales 14* January 1968 *Sources vary on death toll but most say 14.
Cyclone Whitsunday Islands, Queensland 14 January 1970 Cyclone Ada
Cyclone Brisbane, Queensland 14 27 January 1974 1974 Brisbane flood. Cyclone Wanda
Explosion Appin, New South Wales 14 24 July 1979 Appin Colliery Gas Explosion during a pre-planned ventilation change.
Explosion Wonthaggi, Victoria 13 15 February 1937 Dalyson Colliery
Air accident Tamworth, New South Wales 13 January 1960
Explosion Kianga, near Moura, Queensland 13 20 September 1975 Kianga Mine explosion
Air accident Sydney Airport 13 21 February 1980 Light aircraft suffers engine failure
Air accident near Alice Springs, Northern Territory 13 13 August 1989 1989 Alice Springs hot air balloon crash
Earthquake Newcastle, New South Wales 13 28 December 1989 1989 Newcastle earthquake
Flood Windsor, New South Wales 12 21 June 1867 12 members of the Eather family swept away in flood.
Bushfire Gippsland, Victoria 12 1 February 1898 "Red Tuesday" bushfires. 2,600 km² burnt, 12 people killed, 2,000 buildings destroyed.
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, 50,000 km² burnt.
Shipwreck Calgardup Bay, Western Australia 12 1 December 1876 SS Georgette
Bridge collapse Hobart, Tasmania 12 5 January 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 16 July 1986 Explosion in Moura No 4 Mine
Fire Dungog, New South Wales 12 2 August 1991 Palm Grove Hostel fire
Road accident Boondall, Queensland 12 1 October 1994 Boondall bus crash
Air accident Adavale, Queensland 12 28 August 1983 Charter flight broke up in flight and crashed.
Rail accident Near Kerang, Victoria 11 5 June 2007 Kerang train crash. A V/Line train collides with a truck at a level crossing.
Explosion Moura, Queensland 11 7 August 1994 Explosion in Moura No 2 Mine
Rail accident Near Horsham, Victoria 11 24 February 1951 A train collides with a bus at a level crossing.
Serial killing Remains discovered in Snowtown, South Australia 11 1992–1999 Snowtown murders.
Air accident Mount Emerald, Queensland 11 11 May 1990 Cessna 500 jet aircraft collided with terrain 15 km south of Mareeba Airfield.
Fire Kingston, Queensland 11 24 August 2011 House fire
Fire Quakers Hill, New South Wales 11 18 November 2011 Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire
Bushfire Victoria 10 January 1965
Air accident Canberra 10 13 August 1940 Senior War Cabinet Ministers, Chief of Staff and others killed when their plane crashed in fine weather.
Storm/Flood Hunter and Central Coast regions, New South Wales 10 8–11 June 2007 Storm and flooding
Rail accident Near Traveston railway station, Queensland 10 9 June 1925 10 died and 48 injured when a passenger carrige and luggage van of the Rockhampton Mail plunged off a high trestle bridge.
Massacre South Australia 10 Sept 1971 Father kills 10 members of his family
Air accident Near Redesdale, Victoria 10 31 January 1945 Crash of Stinson Tokana caused by fatigue crack in wing spar.
Heatwave Eastern and Southern regions Australia 10+ January–February 1997 Strong likelihood of additional unreported deaths

  • The Port Arthur massacre claimed 35 lives in 1996 when Martin Bryant opened fire in the former penal colony.

  • Two Australian Army S-70A Blackhawk helicopters, similar to the one pictured, crashed in 1996 near Townsville, killing 18 Australian soldiers.

  • A memorial stone to some of those who died during the Eureka Stockade in 1854.

  • The 1950 Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 crash claimed 29 lives.

  • The 1946 Australian National Airways DC-3 crash claimed 25 lives.

Read more about this topic:  List Of Disasters In Australia By Death Toll

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