History Matters Diseases of the Past 2020

Diseases of the past

We are currently living through one of the most significant events of our generation. COVID-19 is disrupting daily life for people across the globe, but it is not the first time that thousands of people all over the world have experienced a major event like this, caused by a dangerous disease.

This session explores similar events from the past and considers them in their Australian contexts. What was it like to experience the Spanish flu in 1918, or one of the polio epidemics in mid-20th century Australia? What was it like for people who got sick and needed hospital care? What was it like for doctors and nurses? How did the community come together to support each other? And what can we learn from these diseases of the past, to help us as we experience a similar event in our own times?

Presented by Way Back When Consulting Historians, Lucy Bracey and Fiona Poulton.

This event will be presented via Zoom. To join you will need an internet-enabled computer, tablet or smartphone. The video link will be emailed 2-3 days prior to the session.