The Downunder Hostel Fire was a lethal fire on 17 September 1989, set shortly before 5:00 am in a backpackers

hostel A hostel is a form of low-cost, short-term shared sociable lodging where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed in a dormitory sleeping 4–20 people, with shared use of a lounge and usually a kitchen. Rooms can be private or shared - mixe ...

on Darlinghurst Road in the Kings Cross area of

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The fire was the fifth most deadly disaster in Australia in 1989.

Background

Since 1981, 52 people have died in fires in backpackers hostels and other low-end boarding facilities. Nineteen people died in 1981 in the Rembrandt Apartments, also in Kings Cross. Kings Cross is a very popular destination with international backpackers visiting Australia. Twelve died in a fire in

Dungog, New South Wales Dungog is a country town on the Williams River (New South Wales), Williams River in the Hunter Region, Hunter region and a small part of the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Located in the middle of dairy and timber countr ...

in 1991 at the Palm Grove Hostel. In 2000 the Childers Palace Backpackers Hostel in

Childers, Queensland Childers is a rural town and Suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Childers had a population of 1,682 people. Geography Childers is in the Wide Bay–Burnett r ...

, burned down, claiming 15 lives. On top of all that, 130 backpackers were evacuated after an arson attack at the Ocean View Lodge in

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

, Western Australia in March 1993, 10 from the City Heart Hostel in

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. In the , the population of Rockhampton was 79,293. A common nickname for Rockhampton is "Rocky", and the demonym of Rockhampton is Rockhamptonite. The Scottish- ...

, Queensland in August 1996 after another arson attack. On 13 October 2011, a fire was started in a bin outside Noah's Bondi Beach hostel in

Bondi Beach, New South Wales Bondi Beach () is a popular beach and the name of the surrounding suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Bondi Beach is located east of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local government area of ...

, where 130 backpackers were sleeping,.

Building

In December 1975 the Savoy Private Hotel burned down with the loss of 15 lives and 25 seriously injured after a fire set by Reginald John Little. It was next door to a building that housed the Pink Panther strip club and a brothel called the Kingsdore Motel. This building later became the Downunder Hostel. Both buildings were owned by alleged crime-boss Abe "the boss of the Cross" Saffron, who has been linked to seven other fires. As a hostel the three-story building held 58 beds, with a standard of four or five individuals per room.

Fire

The fire quickly swept up through the stairwell, which became blocked by smoke and fire. Due to the lack of fire escapes many escaped through the windows in the rooms.

Arson Arson is the act of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, watercr ...

was suspected. At least 60 were rescued, 16 of whom were injured. All fatalities were caused by

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as " flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large ...

smoke inhalation Smoke inhalation is the breathing in of harmful fumes (produced as by-products of combusting substances) through the respiratory tract. This can cause smoke inhalation injury (a kind of acute inhalation injury) which is damage to the respirator ...

in the room on the top floor. Five young tourists aged in their twenties, died in a fire that started in the lobby of the hostel. The victims were David Leo Hillman, 25, Canadian; Jacinda Maree Hill, 25, New Zealand; Allan Nielsen, 27, Danish; Darren Andrews, 20, British; and an Austrian and a Swedish national.

Investigation and legal

Initial reports from a police spokesperson during the investigation strongly hinted the fire was arson and not accidental, stating "It is possible someone dropped a cigarette or something may have been dropped in the lounge. But we can't discount some drunk has come back to the hostel and lit it up for fun." Gregory Allan Brown, who had a history of

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...

and drug and alcohol abuse, confessed to setting this fire and some 500 more. He was sentenced to 18 years for

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th ce ...

. He was convicted, despite his alleged unreliable confession and a suggestion that he was in Melbourne at the time. The court found diminished responsibility, sentencing him for manslaughter instead of

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

. Alleged to have boasted to another prisoner "I love hearing people scream and watching them die," he was released in 2009 after serving his full sentence, refusing to apply for parole.

Aftermath

The Downunder fire eventually led to new stringent safety procedures. The

coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

made recommendations about the number of

fire exit An emergency exit in a building or other structure is a special exit used during emergencies such as Structure fire, fires. The combined use of regular and emergency exits allows for faster Emergency evacuation, evacuation, and emergency exit ...

s, sprinkler systems, labelling of

fire door A fire door is a door with a fire-resistance rating (sometimes referred to as a ''fire protection rating'' for closures) used as part of a passive fire protection system to reduce the spread of fire and smoke between separate compartments of ...

fire extinguisher A fire extinguisher is a handheld active fire protection device usually filled with a dry or wet chemical used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergencies. It is not intended for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which ha ...

s and other fire-fighting equipment and staffing. The local council formed a safety department but enforcement remains sporadic as local councils are not reimbursed for legal fees in Land and Environment Court. Legislation was introduced that gave local governments and fire authorities special enforcement powers in relation to buildings posing a fire risk, with authorized inspectors becoming capable of inspecting buildings when requested or when a written complaint has been made about the building.

Sex offense

In 2022 Gregory Allan Brown appeared in the Supreme Court of Tasmania, accused of asking a 16-year-old girl to send him photos of her vagina, via Messenger. She refused. Brown received a 12 months suspended sentence. A trio of experts questioned Brown's defense, arguing he fabricated a neglected childhood and other hardships which led to his lighting the Downunder Hostel in anger. The experts argued he used this 'sob' story to gain leniency in his 2022 sex offense case. Brown was charged with perverting justice. On 27 May 2024 Brown entered no plea to the charge. On 17 September 2024, 35 years to the day of the Downunder arson fire, Brown plead guilty to perverting justice. He is awaiting sentencing.

References

External links

* *
Pyromania : the fire at the Downunder Hostel
in *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2sz-fYhqc *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2M5ufmIWBaw {{Coord, 33, 52, 25.3, S, 151, 13, 24.2, E, display=title, type:event_region:AU 1989 disasters in Australia 1989 murders in Australia 1980s fires in Oceania Arson in 1989 Hotel arson attacks Building and structure arson attacks in Australia Murder in Sydney 1980s in Sydney September 1989 in Australia Kings Cross, New South Wales Mass murder in 1989 20th-century mass murder in Australia Attacks on hotels in Australia Attacks on buildings and structures in 1989