INFLUENZA PANDEMIC OF 1919

The Great War was still raging when the first signs of the flu began to appear. The distance and slow transport meant that Australian authorities had time to consider their options while the epidemic spread through other countries. The Australian Government began to plan a response should influenza reach its shores. A conference with delegates from all the states agreed to start by attempting to control the movement of people. If this failed and influenza spread, the Federal Director of Quarantine should be notified. The infected state would be isolated, and the Commonwealth would take control of all interstate traffic.

The delegates’ agreement, however, did not necessarily reflect the stance of the state governments. The