Lexi Webster
The Spanish Flu was a global pandemic that occurred between 1918 and 1920, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Australia was not immune to the virus, and despite being an island nation with the ability to quarantine, the flu still managed to take the lives of thousands of Australians. So, how many people died from the Spanish Flu in Australia, and what was the impact on this nation?
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What You'll Learn
The death toll: 12,000-20,000 people
The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1920 was the biggest pandemic in recent history. It is estimated that it killed around 50 million people worldwide. Australia was able to quarantine people arriving by sea, but the flu still made its way to the country. It is estimated that the flu killed 12,000-20,000 people in Australia. This was a much lower death rate compared to other countries, with Australia's death rate being 2.7 per 1,000 people. However, the flu still had devastating effects on the country.
The Spanish Flu infected a significant portion of the Australian population, with up to 2 million people infected out of a population of about 5 million. This meant that as much as 40 percent of the population was infected. The flu was particularly deadly for young adults, with almost a third of deaths occurring in adults between 25 and 34. The flu was also more deadly for men than women, with many more men dying from the disease. This was likely due to men having more social contacts, as well as the crowded and unhygienic conditions that many lived in at the time.
The flu also disproportionately affected certain communities, such as Indigenous people and First Nations communities. These communities often lived in poor health conditions and did not have access to good medical facilities. On some missions, around 15 percent of those who caught the flu died, which was a much higher rate than that of white Australians. The death rate among First Nations people in Queensland was also notably high, making up nearly a third of those who died from the flu in the state.
The Spanish Flu had a significant impact on pregnant women as well. Of 224 pregnant women admitted to Sydney hospitals, 60 died, which is almost 27%. The vaccination helped reduce this number, with only 9.5% of vaccinated women dying from the flu. However, the vaccination was not enough to prevent the high number of premature deliveries, with 46 women delivering prematurely and 48% of them dying.
The Spanish Flu pandemic in Australia lasted from 1918 to 1920, with two waves of the flu sweeping across the country between January 1919 and March 1920. The flu caused a significant number of deaths and illnesses, but the efforts of medical and health specialists helped save countless lives. The country's experience with the pandemic also provided a template for dealing with future health crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The impact on vulnerable communities
The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-1919 had a devastating impact on vulnerable communities in Australia, particularly Indigenous communities. It is estimated that around 12,000-15,000 Australians died from the Spanish flu, with a mortality rate of less than 0.4% overall. However, the mortality rate among Indigenous communities was much higher, approaching 50% in some communities. This disparity can be attributed to various social, ecological, and geographical factors, as well as a higher prevalence of co-morbidities among Indigenous people.
Indigenous communities in Australia were already facing significant challenges before the pandemic hit. They had limited access to healthcare, clean water, and nutritious food, which made them more vulnerable to the virus. Additionally, cultural practices and customs, such as gathering oral traditions from chiefs on their deathbeds, facilitated the spread of the disease among community elders. The high mortality rate among Indigenous leaders had a profound impact on the social and cultural fabric of these communities.
The impact of the Spanish flu on Indigenous communities in Australia was further exacerbated by the lack of tailored public health measures. Quarantine and isolation were implemented as containment strategies, but there is no evidence that these measures were developed in collaboration with Indigenous communities or that they respected local cultural practices. For example, infection control messages may not have aligned with the reality of life in Aboriginal communities, where attending family and cultural gatherings is of utmost importance.
Furthermore, the Spanish flu pandemic disrupted daily life and essential services in Australia. There were too few doctors and nurses to handle the crisis, as many healthcare workers were still serving in the armed forces overseas or had fallen ill themselves. Schools were shut down, and healthcare facilities were overwhelmed. The Exhibition Building in Melbourne was converted into a large hospital, along with some schools. These disruptions disproportionately affected vulnerable communities, who relied heavily on these essential services.
The Spanish flu pandemic revealed the urgent need for a coordinated and inclusive response to public health crises. The formation of the federal Department of Health in 1921 was a direct response to the failures of individual states to cooperate and manage the outbreak effectively. The pandemic also highlighted the importance of community engagement and collaboration with local leaders to develop and implement effective and culturally sensitive public health measures.
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The role of quarantining
Australia's response to the Spanish flu pandemic was marked by disagreements between state and federal governments. Quarantine measures were implemented, but they were not always effective due to confusion caused by a milder form of influenza that arrived in the country in September 1918. Despite these efforts, the Spanish flu pandemic claimed the lives of around 15,000 Australians, with a significant impact on vulnerable communities such as Indigenous people and First Nations communities.
As an island, Australia had the advantage of being able to quarantine people arriving by sea. The North Head Quarantine Station, located near Sydney Harbour, was heavily used during the Spanish flu pandemic to quarantine both military and civilian vessels and personnel. However, the success of maritime quarantine led to a false sense of security, with authorities erroneously attributing new infections to the local epidemic rather than a new wave of the virus from overseas.
The state of Queensland took a hard-line approach to border control, temporarily stranding Queenslanders returning from Sydney and setting up a quarantine camp for those who could not return to the city. This strategy kept Queensland free of the Spanish flu for several months, but the virus eventually reached the state in May 1919. Western Australia also shut down the transcontinental railway connecting it to eastern Australia.
In April 1919, the acting prime minister pressured Queensland, Tasmania, and Western Australia to relax their quarantine regulations, threatening to redirect trade routes away from their ports. This tension exposed the challenges within Australia's new Federation and the competing interests between the states and the federal government.
The Spanish flu pandemic in Australia was characterised by a combination of quarantine measures, border closures, and disagreements between state and federal authorities. While these measures helped to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, they were not entirely successful in preventing the spread of the virus, and the death toll reached thousands. The response to the Spanish flu highlighted the complexities of managing a public health crisis and the need for effective coordination between different levels of government.
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The vaccine and inoculation
The Spanish Flu, which lasted from 1918 to 1920, was the biggest pandemic in recent history, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Australia was not spared, with up to 15,000 Australians succumbing to the flu in 1919. Sydney was particularly hard hit, with 3,500 deaths. The Spanish Flu also devastated Aboriginal communities, with a much higher rate of death compared to white Australians.
During the Spanish Flu pandemic, there was a concerted effort in Australia to develop and distribute a vaccine. The CSL (Commonwealth Serum Laboratories) prepared a test vaccine by November 1918, even before the first case of Spanish Flu was identified in the country. This vaccine was created from batches of organisms killed using tricresol. The vaccine was trialled on 5,155 railway workers in Victoria, with a comparison group of 6,247 unvaccinated workers. The results showed a slightly higher incidence of influenza in the inoculated group, but the difference was negligible, and death numbers were too small to be significant.
Inoculation depots were set up across the country, with doctors administering vaccinations to the public. The process was not without its challenges, with long queues and some people initially turning away. However, thousands received the vaccine, and the CSL distributed 3 million doses between 15 October 1918 and 15 March 1919. The vaccine was also given to naval crews travelling to Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, with all crew members receiving at least four inoculations.
The effectiveness of the vaccine was monitored, and it was found that the death rate among the uninoculated was 13.8%, while the inoculated group had a lower death rate of 4%. Furthermore, the severity of the disease was reduced in those who received two inoculations. Vaccination was particularly beneficial for pregnant women, who were severely affected by the Spanish Flu. Of 224 pregnant women admitted to Sydney hospitals, 60 died, a rate of almost 27%. However, among those who had been vaccinated, the death rate was significantly lower, at 9.5%.
The Spanish Flu pandemic highlighted the importance of vaccination in controlling deadly diseases. While Australia had prior experience with smallpox vaccination campaigns, the Spanish Flu presented a unique challenge. The development and distribution of the Spanish Flu vaccine in Australia demonstrated the country's commitment to protecting its citizens and slowing the spread of the disease.
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The suppression of its memory
The Spanish Flu, which lasted from 1918 to 1920, was the biggest pandemic in recent history, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide. In Australia, up to 15,000 people died, with 3,500 of those deaths occurring in Sydney. The pandemic's memory, however, has been largely suppressed and forgotten.
During the pandemic, Australians were already making efforts to erase the Spanish Flu from public memory. In newspaper memorials, deceased World War I veterans were celebrated as heroes, while influenza victims were often left out of the cause of their suffering. This discrepancy in remembrance was partly due to the Australian government's desire to encourage a particular self-image of the country. The government had invested heavily in portraying the defeat at Gallipoli as a victory. As Patrick notes, "the pandemic hasn't had that type of promotion." The young, white males who perished in Gallipoli were revered as heroes and martyrs, while those who succumbed to the influenza pandemic were largely forgotten.
The Spanish Flu's memory was further obscured by the lack of understanding about viruses at the time. Scientists knew very little about viruses, as they were too small to be seen under microscopes. Many of the deaths in 1919 were caused by secondary bacterial infections, leading to pneumonia. The focus on bacteria rather than viruses may have contributed to the pandemic's obscurity in historical narratives.
Additionally, the Spanish Flu's origin story may have contributed to its forgotten status. The flu was first widely reported in Spain, as the country was neutral during World War I and had no wartime censorship. However, the flu did not originate in Spain, and its actual source remains unknown. The association with Spain may have led to less attention and focus on the pandemic's impact and its aftermath.
The suppression of the Spanish Flu's memory in Australia is evident in the lack of comprehensive historical records and the disparity in remembrance compared to World War I. This erasure has led to a gap in understanding the pandemic's long-term impact on survivors, families, and communities. However, recent scholarly and public interest in the pandemic has brought it back into the spotlight, challenging the narrative of forgetting and suppression.
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Frequently asked questions
It is estimated that between 12,000 and 20,000 people died from the Spanish flu in Australia.
The death rate was 2.7 per 1,000 people, one of the lowest recorded globally.
The mortality rate was 50% for unvaccinated people and 1.1% for those who had been vaccinated.
It is estimated that around 40% of the population, or 2 million people, were infected.
The Spanish flu reached Australia in July 1918, with the first wave lasting until the end of the year. The second wave began in January 1919 and lasted until March 1920.
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