LAST ITEM HELD MATCHING THIS TITLE STATED:

Self published by the author in 1993, near mint condition, appears unread. Large (12" high) format 72 page illustrated (b/w & colour) account of the disastrous bushfire that struck Upper Beaconsfield in Victoria, Australia, on the terrible day of "Ash Wednesday", when massive bushfires flared across half the state. The greatest loss of life over the entire state, and probably property too, occurred in Upper Beaconsfield, a small township with about 4000 inhabitants. The book contains a blow by blow history of the fire event, from its unexplained start in a nature reserve in Belgrave Heights, its rush south, then the wind change that blew it west engulfing the entire township. The book mainly consists of reminiscences of residents and fire crews. There is a picture of a bent and melted metal roadsign, one of the accounts from a driver in a fire tanker recounts that he saw it droop when he was sitting in the tanker when the fire front passed over! My favourite story is the old soldier whose only action as he ran for his life from the front was to dash back into his house to save the only copy of his war memoirs! This is a very scarce book, I am only listing it as I have obtained a second copy. An engrossing account of a terrible event. . First Edition. Trade Paperback. Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall.