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The fire-ravaged ruin of Playford House at Norton Summit. Much of the history of four generations of the Playford family was lost in the fire.
1/57The fire-ravaged ruin of Playford House at Norton Summit. Much of the history of four generations of the Playford family was lost in the fire.
Sue Arnold is overcome at seeing the ruins of her mother’s historic German cottage house at Paechtown, near Hahndorf, as their car burn in the background.
2/57Sue Arnold is overcome at seeing the ruins of her mother’s historic German cottage house at Paechtown, near Hahndorf, as their car burn in the background.
Ron Rowe takes a moment to comfort his distressed dog Pepper in front of the blazing remains of his historic home at Paechtown in the Adelaide Hill.
3/57Ron Rowe takes a moment to comfort his distressed dog Pepper in front of the blazing remains of his historic home at Paechtown in the Adelaide Hill.
The. Mount Lofty obelisk is all that remains of the lookout after the fire.
4/57The. Mount Lofty obelisk is all that remains of the lookout after the fire.
Hahndorf resident Peter Gaskell, 64, in front of the house he tried to save for his friend and neighbor Ian Kroehn.
5/57Hahndorf resident Peter Gaskell, 64, in front of the house he tried to save for his friend and neighbor Ian Kroehn.
The ruin of the BP service station at Eagle on the Hill, on the old freeway.
6/57The ruin of the BP service station at Eagle on the Hill, on the old freeway.
Geoffrey Maitland and his wife Anne beside their gutted house on Mount Osmond.
7/57Geoffrey Maitland and his wife Anne beside their gutted house on Mount Osmond.
Tired firefighter Jack Brunato at the McLaren Flat command centre for a quick break before heading out again to battle the fires.
8/57Tired firefighter Jack Brunato at the McLaren Flat command centre for a quick break before heading out again to battle the fires.
Ian Gurr at the remains of his historic home Wychwood, destroyed in the bushfires.
9/57Ian Gurr at the remains of his historic home Wychwood, destroyed in the bushfires.
Bob Hoskins standing in the drawing room of his burnt-out historic home. The house was once owned by former Surveyor-General of SA George Goyder and was furnished with ornate and antique furnishings.
10/57Bob Hoskins standing in the drawing room of his burnt-out historic home. The house was once owned by former Surveyor-General of SA George Goyder and was furnished with ornate and antique furnishings.
Anne Maitland, left, of Mt Osmond, is comforted by her daughter, Wendy Trugden of Hyde Park, after her home was gutted by the fire.
11/57Anne Maitland, left, of Mt Osmond, is comforted by her daughter, Wendy Trugden of Hyde Park, after her home was gutted by the fire.
A CFS firefighter refills the truck with water at the McLaren Flats area staging post.
12/57A CFS firefighter refills the truck with water at the McLaren Flats area staging post.
John Heig searching through the remains of his house in Yarrabee Road, Greenhill.
13/57John Heig searching through the remains of his house in Yarrabee Road, Greenhill.
1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, South Australia. SA Governor Sir Don Dunstan (l) and SA Premier John Bannon talking with Les Brooks, 55, of Mt Mcintyre in front of Les’s fathers house which was destroyed in the fire 18 Feb 1983.
14/571983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, South Australia. SA Governor Sir Don Dunstan (l) and SA Premier John Bannon talking with Les Brooks, 55, of Mt Mcintyre in front of Les’s fathers house which was destroyed in the fire 18 Feb 1983.
An exhausted firefighter pauses for a moment’s rest after trudging out of a gully near suburban Beaumont.
15/57An exhausted firefighter pauses for a moment’s rest after trudging out of a gully near suburban Beaumont.
The ruins of an early German settler’s house reduced to ruins at Paechtown.
16/57The ruins of an early German settler’s house reduced to ruins at Paechtown.
Destruction on Yarrabee Road, Greenhill.
17/57Destruction on Yarrabee Road, Greenhill.
Residents of Yarrabee Road, Greenhill, together after the fires tore through their homes.
18/57Residents of Yarrabee Road, Greenhill, together after the fires tore through their homes.
The burnt-out remains of an ETSA truck in the area of Range Road, McLaren Fla.
19/57The burnt-out remains of an ETSA truck in the area of Range Road, McLaren Fla.
MFS officer Barry Rogers hoses down a burning car on Greenhill Road.
20/57MFS officer Barry Rogers hoses down a burning car on Greenhill Road.
An aerial view of the Mount Lofty Summit showing the burnt restaurant, fire tower and the obelisk.
21/57An aerial view of the Mount Lofty Summit showing the burnt restaurant, fire tower and the obelisk.
The ruins of a house burnt to the ground at Sevenhill.
22/57The ruins of a house burnt to the ground at Sevenhill.
A young child rides his bicycle on the exposed foundations of a house that was destroyed by the fire.
23/57A young child rides his bicycle on the exposed foundations of a house that was destroyed by the fire.
The remains of St Michael’s house at Mount Lofty.
24/57The remains of St Michael’s house at Mount Lofty.
A burnt-out 4WD vehicle.
25/57A burnt-out 4WD vehicle.
Then-SA Premier John Bannon with firefighters at Tarpeena in the South-East.
26/57Then-SA Premier John Bannon with firefighters at Tarpeena in the South-East.
The Altschwager family of Mount McIntrye, outside the rebuilding efforts in 1984, after their homes was destroyed.
27/57The Altschwager family of Mount McIntrye, outside the rebuilding efforts in 1984, after their homes was destroyed.
The ruins of the Eagle on the Hill Hotel.
28/57The ruins of the Eagle on the Hill Hotel.
The burnt-out ruins of the former home of Sir Douglas Mawson at Mount Lofty.
29/57The burnt-out ruins of the former home of Sir Douglas Mawson at Mount Lofty.
The headquarters of Mount Burr logging contractor R.C. and V. M. Long was wiped out in the South-East fires - surrounded by the shells of bulldozers and trucks is mechanic Craig Medhurst.
30/57The headquarters of Mount Burr logging contractor R.C. and V. M. Long was wiped out in the South-East fires - surrounded by the shells of bulldozers and trucks is mechanic Craig Medhurst.
Then-SA Premier John Bannon in the fire-ravaged forest of Tarpeena in the South-East.
31/57Then-SA Premier John Bannon in the fire-ravaged forest of Tarpeena in the South-East.
A gutted house one of many on Yarrabee Road, Greenhill.
32/57A gutted house one of many on Yarrabee Road, Greenhill.
Viny Ridge service station and Leyland dearlership co director David Jarrett in front of the destroyed remains of his premises.
33/57Viny Ridge service station and Leyland dearlership co director David Jarrett in front of the destroyed remains of his premises.
Firefighters on the back of a fire truck help locals to battle the flames in thick smoke.
34/57Firefighters on the back of a fire truck help locals to battle the flames in thick smoke.
A local landowner with a branch on Ridge Road, McLaren Flat, steps aside as the CFS team arrive through the smoke and fire.
35/57A local landowner with a branch on Ridge Road, McLaren Flat, steps aside as the CFS team arrive through the smoke and fire.
Flames rip through a burning building at Sevenhill in the Clare Valley.
36/57Flames rip through a burning building at Sevenhill in the Clare Valley.
Journalist Michael Grealy looks at the damage to a Mt Osmond Road home destroyed by bushfire. The swimming pool is all that is left 16 Feb 1983.
37/57Journalist Michael Grealy looks at the damage to a Mt Osmond Road home destroyed by bushfire. The swimming pool is all that is left 16 Feb 1983.
Smoke billows from a building, with the ruins of a barn in the foreground.
38/57Smoke billows from a building, with the ruins of a barn in the foreground.
Young men fight the fire by hand on Ridge Road, McLaren Flat.
39/57Young men fight the fire by hand on Ridge Road, McLaren Flat.
The fire-gutted remains of the homestead on the Derrymore property of the Jones Brothers, near Kalangadoo.
40/57The fire-gutted remains of the homestead on the Derrymore property of the Jones Brothers, near Kalangadoo.
The remains of house burnt to the ground at Sevenhills during the Clare Valley fire.
41/57The remains of house burnt to the ground at Sevenhills during the Clare Valley fire.
Malcolm Hutchins with his wife Karen and their elder son David, of Kalangadoo, standing beside the wreckage of Malcolm’s speed car.
42/57Malcolm Hutchins with his wife Karen and their elder son David, of Kalangadoo, standing beside the wreckage of Malcolm’s speed car.
Jack Brunato (front) and crew at the McLaren Flat command centre for a quick break before heading out again to battle the fires.
43/57Jack Brunato (front) and crew at the McLaren Flat command centre for a quick break before heading out again to battle the fires.
A section of the 8500km of fencing burnt in the Ash Wednesday fires.
44/57A section of the 8500km of fencing burnt in the Ash Wednesday fires.
Police officers Mick Boonstoppel and Chris Mudie check the burnt out houses on Yarrabee Road for fire victims.
45/57Police officers Mick Boonstoppel and Chris Mudie check the burnt out houses on Yarrabee Road for fire victims.
A car in full flames parked at a house on Mount Osmond Road, Mount Osmond.
46/57A car in full flames parked at a house on Mount Osmond Road, Mount Osmond.
MFS officers with the CFS outside a cabinet makers workshop fully alight.
47/57MFS officers with the CFS outside a cabinet makers workshop fully alight.
1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, South Australia. Ron Rowe takes a moment to comfort his distressed dog Pepper in front of the blazing remains of his historic home at Paechtown 16 Feb 1983.
48/571983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, South Australia. Ron Rowe takes a moment to comfort his distressed dog Pepper in front of the blazing remains of his historic home at Paechtown 16 Feb 1983.
John Hope pictured with a painting of his mother and a few antiques saved from the burnt ruins of his historic house Wolta Wolta in Clare.
49/57John Hope pictured with a painting of his mother and a few antiques saved from the burnt ruins of his historic house Wolta Wolta in Clare.
Police investigate the deaths of three people killed in burnt-out cars on Greenhill Road.
50/57Police investigate the deaths of three people killed in burnt-out cars on Greenhill Road.
A kitchen-window view as the workshop of Summertown cabinetmaker, John Revitt, is gutted.
51/57A kitchen-window view as the workshop of Summertown cabinetmaker, John Revitt, is gutted.
Julia and Gary Archer standing beside the burnt-out ruins of their Prospect Hill home.
52/57Julia and Gary Archer standing beside the burnt-out ruins of their Prospect Hill home.
Fred Remmele sifts through the rubble of what was his living room at 81 Mount Osmond Road, Mount Osmond.
53/57Fred Remmele sifts through the rubble of what was his living room at 81 Mount Osmond Road, Mount Osmond.
The ruins of the Eagle on the Hill Hotel.
54/57The ruins of the Eagle on the Hill Hotel.
Eagle on the Hill Hotel publican Peter Bowley stands outside the fire-ruined hotel.
55/57Eagle on the Hill Hotel publican Peter Bowley stands outside the fire-ruined hotel.
The view from the CFS fire-spotter tower of the Mount Lofty obelisk standing above the charred kiosk and outbuildings.
56/57The view from the CFS fire-spotter tower of the Mount Lofty obelisk standing above the charred kiosk and outbuildings.
A car burns in front of the ruins of the Paechtown house belonging to Pam Arnold. The 140-year-old historic German cottage was destroyed by the bushfire.
57/57A car burns in front of the ruins of the Paechtown house belonging to Pam Arnold. The 140-year-old historic German cottage was destroyed by the bushfire.
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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/ash-wednesday-the-day-sa-went-up-in-flames/image-gallery/85405d3aa53545ee223a324990dd2e3f