Woodman Point Quarantine Station

The Spanish flu swept across the world in three waves between 1918 and 1919. It tended to affect an area for up to 12 weeks and then would suddenly disappear, almost as quickly as it had arrived, only to return several months later. This wave pattern matches descriptions of some earlier pandemics, and occurred in a less pronounced form in the milder pandemics of 1957-58 and 1968-70.

In terms of the loss of human lives, the Spanish flu was unprecedented in modern times. More people died during the pandemic than were killed in the First World War. The illness came on suddenly and progressed rapidly to respiratory failure and in some instances death. Many people died from bacterial disease after infection with influenza (known as secondary bacterial infection).

Worldwide, at least 50 million people, and some suggest as high as 100 million are thought to have died, with unusually high numbers of deaths in young and healthy people aged 15 to 35 years. It has been estimated that about 25 per cent of the world’s population was infected. Global spread and severity were influenced by the war and the movement of troops. ( For further details refer to " The Boonah Tragedy ")

The West Australian Saturday 7 December 1918

PNEUMONIC INFLUENZA. NINETY CASES ON VESSEL FOR FREMANTLE. In answer to inquiries last night Dr. F. E. Cox (Chief Quarantine Officer) said that it was officially stated that a vessel laden with troops which had called in at South Africa was due at Fremantle next week. There were ninety cases of Spanish influenza aboard and the local quarantine authorities were making arrangements to isolate all the patients at Woodman's Point. What would be done with the rest of the contacts and the vessel was yet to be determined.

The West Australian Monday 9 December 1918

PNEUMONIC INFLUENZA. THE INCOMING TROOPSHIP. SERIOUS OUTBREAK ONBOARD. NEARLY 200 CASES. Available wireless news indicates that the outbreak of pneumonic influenza on board the troopship from South Africa, which is expected to arrive at Fremantle about the middle of the week, is assuming more serious proportions. The disease is evidently spreading rapidly for, whereas the earlier reports gave the number of cases as 90, it is now stated that there are nearly 200 men affected. The Chief Quarantine Officer (Dr. E. Cox) and the Commissioner of Public Health (Dr. Atkinson) visited Woodman's Point yesterday, and conferred with Dr. Mitchell, who is in charge of the quarantine station, regarding the necessary arrangements for the reception of the patients on arrival. It is understood at present that the men will be isolated at Woodman's Point.