While recent scorching temperatures have reignited concerns about heatwaves in Australia, the nation's climatic history reveals such events are far from new. A devastating 24-day heatwave in January 1896 stands as one of the deadliest on record, claiming at least 437 lives and pushing society to its breaking point long before the advent of air conditioning.
The Furnace of 1896: A Nation Brought to its Knees
The catastrophic event began with temperatures soaring above 38 degrees Celsius and remaining there for nearly a month. Newspapers of the era described the oppressive conditions as feeling 'like a furnace,' with bushfires raging across the country. The human toll was swift and brutal. By January 14, reports emerged of people dying from complications brought on by the extreme heat.
In Goulburn, New South Wales, 12 infants had perished from heat-related illnesses alone by the third week of January. Hospitals were overwhelmed, and the death toll climbed relentlessly. Desperate citizens packed trains fleeing cities for the relief of mountains and hills, though tragically, one child was reported to have 'died at the moment the train arrived.'
The mercury reached a staggering 48.9°C in Bourke, NSW, on January 17, a figure subject to some historical dispute due to changing measurement techniques. Contemporary accounts painted a dire picture: 'The hospital is crowded, and a number of people are dangerously ill. More deaths are hourly expected.' The heat was said to drive people 'insane,' leaving them to wander helplessly before collapsing dead in the streets.
Societal Collapse and a Search for Relief
The prolonged crisis caused widespread disruption. Cattle died by the hundreds, water supplies evaporated, and most businesses across NSW shut their doors—only hotels remained open as residents waited indoors. By January 24, the heatwave was declared 'an unprecedented record,' with the death toll in Bourke alone reaching 35. 'The residents are really panic-stricken, and hundreds are leaving for cooler climates,' one report noted.
Authorities responded by running extra, discounted train services from Sydney's west to the mountains. In other parts of Australia, temperatures had not dropped below 37 degrees since late 1895, illustrating the event's vast geographic scale and endurance.
Modern Parallels in a Warming Climate
Almost 131 years later, Australia has again endured significant heat. Sydney's temperature peaked at 42.2°C recently, marking the second time this 2025–26 summer the city has hit that exact temperature—the first occurrence was on December 19. This also represented the first instance since 2013 that Sydney has recorded two days above 42°C in a single summer at its Observatory Hill station.
Broader climate data underscores a warming trend. According to Weatherzone, Australia's mean temperature for 2025 was more than 1.2°C above average, making it the country's fourth-warmest year in over a century of records. The national average temperature reached 21.8°C, which is 1.23°C above the 1961–1990 baseline.
Abnormally warm conditions were recorded across almost the entire continent during 2025, with several southern regions experiencing their warmest year on record. This modern data, set against the backdrop of the 1896 disaster, highlights the persistent and intensifying challenge extreme heat poses to Australia.
