Woodman Point Quarantine Station

A little known episode of World War One when the troopship "BOONAH" arrived back in Fremantle in 1918 bearing soldiers infected with the "Spanish Flu" ( Pneumonic Influenza ) then rampant in South Africa where the ship had docked. A number of the soldiers, quarantined at Woodman Point, and the nurses attending them, died.Sir Hal Colebatch, as State Minister for Health, features, prominently in the account.

The BOONAH, was carrying aproximately 1000 soldiers, and was the last troopship to carry diggers intended for the battlefields of the Western Front. After leaving Fremantle, it reached Durban in South Africa three days after the Armistice was signed, and it was here that the soldiers would have the disease passed on to them by way of local labour who were coal bunkering the ship before the vessel's return voyage to Fremantle.

It has been called the BOONAH Tragedy, and after the crisis in Fremantle it eventually sailed for the Eastern States, but prior to that, it became a headache to all the authorities, including the WA government and the Public Health Department, mainly because of quarantine regulations caused by the 'Spanish Flu' pandemic, and they just couldn't cope with this health crisis and didn't have the facilities in WA to cater for such an emergency.

To add to this, the contingent of WA soldiers onboard the BOONAH were virtually on the verge of revolting, because they were not allowed to disembark, in their home port, because of the health crisis unfolding onboard the vessel.

H.M.A.T. BOONAH

At the quarantine station Woodman Point there was not enough food, accommodation or medical staff, and this facility was endeavouring to house 600 soldiers off the BOONAH, and in sheer desperation the authorities called for volunteers from a group of military nurses onboard the WYREEMA, another transport in Gage Roads, to help their colleagues. All the nurses onboard the WYREEMA volunteered to help, but the authorities selected only twenty.
Of these volunteer nurses from the WYREEMA, four would eventually succumb to the 'Spanish Flu' and die.(3 military and 1 civilian nurse) and also 26 soldiers from the BOONAH.

Nurses onboard the H.M.A.T WYREEMA


H.M.A.T WYREEMA

The Nurses

Rosa O'Kane_____Hilda Williams and Ada Thompson_____Hilda Williams

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Rosa O'Kane. d. 21.12.18_________Ada Thompson. d. 01.01.19_____Hilda Williams. d. 04.01.19

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Doris Ridgway d. 06.01.19 _T____The F.H.T. launch "Reliance", used to bring the soldiers ashore

The Soldiers buried at East Rockingham Cemetery

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Harry Maxwell George. 62495 . Died. 14.12.1918

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C.V. Morrison. 66845___J. Haggerty. 62626_____ W.M.Laffan. 68689_____ H.S.Knott 3202

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B.D.R.McAdam. 62476_____J.L.Fuge. 20126____J.H.Williams. 66548_____J.Tutton. 66538

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M.J.Green. 72748______A.H.Sayers. 3215

Soldiers buried at Woodman Point and later interred to the Military Cemetery Karrakatta in 1958.



N.A.Austin. 3784 ______ J.Clatworthy. 62782 _____ G.D.Moss. 3781 _____T Corcoran. 68777

C.W.Lancaster. 68827 _____T.S.Emerson. 5775 _____ C.W.Torney. 68874 ___ A.G.Wilson. 3221

T.H.Hempsell. 62818 ______R.J.Adams. 3410______C.L. Dyer. 62544_____C.G.T.Nilsson. 60736

A.Vernon. 66543_____G.Blair. 74903_____ H.H.Phillips. 62591____

After eight days in Fremantle, the BOONAH the would break quarantine regulations, because of fresh cases of the flu being discovered each day on the ship, and sail for South Australia via Albany. On arrival in SA, more soldiers would be sent to the Torrens Island quarantine station.

The BOONAH would remain in Commonwealth hands until 1925, when she was the sold back to a German steamship company. She underwent a number of name changes until the outbreak of the Second World War, and she was then taken over by the German Kreigsmarine.

In 1940 she was torpedoed and sunk by the British submarine H.M.S.NARWHAL off the coast of Norway, thus ending a chequered career which lasted 30 years.

A number of historic images and certain detailed information regarding The Boonah Tragedy have been kindly supplied by Ian Darroch. His permission to display this material on this website is indeed greatly appreciated.

Persons wishing to purchase a copy of the book The Boonah Tragedy by Ian Darroch can do so by contacting Ian on 9528 5899 or by e-mail: ianfaye@iprimus.com.au