From an editorial in The Age:
Yesterday it was becoming apparent that these fires will be acknowledged as Victoria's greatest natural disaster. They have already led to greater loss of life than the Ash Wednesday fires of 1983, in which 47 Victorians died, and the death toll was mounting so rapidly that it seems likely to be greater than that of the Black Friday fires of January 1939, in which 71 died.
See also here. At the time of posting the death toll is reported as having passed 130. Please consider making a donation to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal at the website of the Australian Red Cross.