Introduction: This backgrounder features two timelines; the first includes major bushfires, bushfire inquiries and related legislative reforms in NSW between 1926 and 2014. The second identifies recent bushfires and bushfire inquiries in the other States and Territories, as well as relevant Commonwealth Parliamentary inquiries. Key sources used to put together the timelines include a NSW Rural Fire Service timeline, the 2009 Victorian Royal Commission final report, the Australian Emergency Management Knowledge Hub and the Insurance Council of Australia historical disaster statistics. Note that a few discrepancies exist between these sources on such matters as the number of deaths and houses destroyed by bushfire.

The inquiries are also listed by jurisdiction at the end of the paper.