Typhoid fever in colonial Toowoomba and Brisbane

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND

TYPHOID FEVER IN COLONIAL TOOWOOMBA AND BRISBANE

A Dissertation submitted by Margaret Hampton

Bachelor of Arts (Australian Studies), ANU

Graduate Diploma in Arts with Specialisation in History, ANU

For the award of

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ABSTRACT

Typhoid fever is a forgotten disease in today’s society, but for the people of nineteenth century Australia it was part of their every day lives. This thesis

examines the role that the Queensland colonial government, the medical profession, and the communities of Toowoomba and Brisbane played in the fight against the disease. At separation from New South Wales the Queensland government officials were new and inexperienced and had inherited a financial debt. These circumstances resulted in cautionary governance when it came to public health policy and issues, but determination and single-mindedness when it came to development of roads and railway lines. The government’s view at the time was if the colony was to prosper then this type of infrastructure must be developed at all costs. What the government failed to realise was that the infrastructure of drainage and sewerage, associated with good public health policies, needed to go side by side with other types of

infrastructure. The prosperity of the colony rested on the health of its people. Because of the failure of the government to recognise the value of strong public health legislation it was up to the medical profession and the community to be vigilant and take the challenge to the government. This study has found that throughout the second half of the nineteenth century the medical profession and the community with the support of various newspapers had to challenge the government on public health issues consistently in relation to typhoid fever. This political pressure was more successful in Toowoomba where William Groom’s leadership achieved some important engineering solutions whereas campaigns in the capital, Brisbane, were marked by diversity and divisions. Intransigent colonial government policy condemned both cities to inadequate sanitation infrastructure until the

twentieth century.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The research for this thesis has taken me a number of years to finish and during that time I visited quite a few libraries. I would like to thank the staff of the Mitchell Library in Sydney, John Oxley Library in Brisbane, Fryer Library in the University of Queensland, the University of Southern Queensland Library, the Queensland State Archives, the State Archives of New South Wales, the Australian National

University Libraries and a special thank you to The National Library of Australia, particularly the Newspaper Room; their help and support is very much appreciated.

I especially want to thank my supervisor Dr Libby Connors of the University of Southern Queensland’s Humanities and International Studies Department. Both Dr Connors and I have had to deal with the complication of distance throughout the writing of this thesis as I live in Canberra and was only able to manage short visits to Brisbane and Toowoomba throughout this period due to family and work

commitments. However, Dr Connors made herself available to me on these visits and also kept in contact by telephone both at the University and at her home and by e-mail on a regular basis. I am eternally grateful to her for her support, help and patience for listening to my frustrations and being available in my moments of despair. I would also like to thank Professor Maurice French, Dean of the Arts Faculty for his help and support.

I also wish to thank my work colleagues - Mr Peter Core, Dr Ray Trewin, and Gail Bush - who assisted me with their help and advice. I wish to especially thank Narelle McLaughlin who was located next to me in the workplace and who supported me through all the ups and downs over the past two years, and a special thank you to Dr Greg Laughlin for his support and advice.

Finally, my special thanks goes to my family who have given me their support throughout the past few years. In particular, my husband Ken for his wonderful meals and encouragement, and my children Maree, Robyn and Lawrence who have shown continual interest and support in what I am doing. I am very grateful to my sister Doreen Deaner who continually encouraged me to keep working. Without my family this thesis would have remained a dream rather than a reality.

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APPENDICES

Appendix 1 Mayors Of Toowoomba 1861-1904 202

Appendix 2 Photograph - Workmen and quarters at Fountain’s Camp

203

Appendix 3 Return showing the Total Number of Deaths Registered in Toowoomba District since the beginning of Year 1874; also showing Certified Causes of Deaths in the same District, and for the same period, under the headings Diarrhoea, Dysentery, and Typhoid Fever.

204

Appendix 4 Return showing Percentage of Deaths certified as from Enteric Causes, in general Death Rate for the months of January, February, March, and April in each year. Return showing Percentage of Deaths certified as from Typhoid Fever in general Death Rate, for the Months of January, February, March, and April, in each year.

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

MAP OF ELECTORAL DISTRICTS OF TOOWOOMBA AND DRAYTON

67

PHOTOGRAPH - HOLME’S CONSTRUCTION CAMP, 1867 78

PHOTOGRAPH - MARRIED QUARTERS VIEW SHOWING CAMP LIFE, 1867

78 CARTOON – TYPHOID FEVER IN THE MIDST OF BRISBANE 115

CARTOON – THE BRISBANE NIGHTMAN’S SONG 168

PHOTOGRAPH - WORKMEN AND QUARTERS AT FOUNTAIN’S CAMP, 1867

203

LIST OF TABLES

Monthly Returns of Stationary Servants, at H.M. General Hospital, Moreton Bay, from 1 - 31 August 1832

43

Population for Census District of Drayton and Toowoomba 90 Category of occupations in Census District of Drayton and Toowoomba,

1876

92

Category of occupations for the District of Drayton and Toowoomba, 1881 and 1886

92

Population for Census District of Brisbane 119

Category of occupations in Census District of Brisbane 1876 120 Category of occupations for the District of Brisbane, 1881 and 1886 120

Brisbane Hospital 137

Typhoid fever patients admitted to Brisbane Hospital and number of deaths from the disease 1882-1899

145

Mayors of Toowoomba 1861-1904 202

Return showing the Total Number of Deaths Registered in Toowoomba District since the beginning of Year 1874; also showing Certified Causes of Deaths in the same District, and for the same period, under the

headings Diarrhoea, Dysentery, and Typhoid Fever.

204

Return showing Percentage of Deaths certified as from Enteric Causes, in general Death Rate for the months of January, February, March, and April in each year.

205

Return showing Percentage of Deaths certified as from Typhoid Fever in general Death Rate, for the Months of January, February, March, and April, in each year.

205

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Typhoid fever in colonial Toowoomba and Brisbane