Woman, horses killed in deadly truck crash

Stephen Cauchi A woman and two horses are dead after a semi-trailer collided with two vehicles at Dixons Creek, near Healesville, last night.

Black Saturday victim could have missed warnings

Jane Lee A former soldier with post-traumatic stress disorder could have missed televised bushfire warnings in the days leading up to Black Saturday because he avoided watching television, which triggered...

Negligence sparked fatal power-line fire, court told

Jane Lee Electricity distributor SP Ausnet's failure to prevent a damaged power line from collapsing negligently caused Black Saturday's deadliest blaze, a court has heard.

Power line failure inevitable, court told

Jane Lee The power line that sparked the Kilmore East fire would not have been replaced to prevent the fire even if defects had been detected beforehand, a court has heard.

Fluke of fire behaviour spares kings of the forest

Darren Gray They have lived through two world wars, economic depressions, the Victorian gold rush and the federation of this nation. They would have even been standing tall when the First Fleet arrived.

Thousands more likely to join Black Saturday class action

Andrea Petrie More than 10,000 victims of the Kilmore East-Kinglake Black Saturday bushfire could take part in the class action against the electricity company deemed responsible for the deadly blaze, a court has...

Man avoids jail for fire fund theft

Mark Russell Father of five who admitted stealing $111,000 from the Black Saturday bushfire appeal fund has received a 12-month suspended jail term.

Barassi to get medal for helping stop attack

Lara O'Toole Football legend Ron Barassi will be presented with a bravery medal for helping a woman being assaulted in St Kilda three years ago.

Honours for 35 of the truly brave

Daniel McCulloch Football legend Ron Barassi and eight-year-old Austin Millar among those recognised.

Dumped face down in creek: 22 years' jail

Andrea Petrie The estranged partner of a Melbourne mother who was murdered last year before and her body was dumped in a creek has been sentenced to 22 years' jail.

Portraits of Ted

Farrah Tomazin On the second anniversary of his election as Premier of Victoria, friends and family give Farrah Tomazin a rare glimpse of the real Ted.

State risks worst fires since Black Saturday

Chris Hingston Victorians are facing the first 'real fire season' since Black Saturday, Country Fire Authority chief officer Euan Ferguson has said, warning that many of those most at risk are still not prepared.

Comments 25

Swarm weather brings out the buzz busters

John Elder Good winter rains and the recent warm weather have sparked a swarm of home invasions. By bees.

Government may join bushfires class action

Andrea Petrie The Federal Government is considering joining the Kilmore East-Kinglake Black Saturday bushfire class action to recoup some of its $450 million in costs associated with the deadly 2009 fires, a court...

More than 100 homeowners accept bushfire buyback

Darren Gray The Shire of Murrindindi was smashed by the two deadliest blazes on Black Saturday.

Four taxi drivers 'scammed $230,000 from Fairfax'

Jared Lynch and Adrian Lowe Four Melbourne taxi drivers have been charged with fraud, after allegedly stealing almost a quarter of a million dollars from Fairfax Media, owner of The Age.

Crisis in DHS for abused children

Michelle Griffin More than 1400 vulnerable children known to child protection authorities were not assigned a case worker in the last financial year.

Blacksmiths forge a Black Saturday tree of new life

Anna Whitelaw The fires were still burning when Doug Tarrant and others began forging gum leaves out of copper and stainless steel.

Rebuilding lives and remembering those lost

Peter Munro Malcolm Hackett will build a new home this year on a cleared patch of cracked earth, with a view of his beef cattle and the charred Kinglake Ranges.