The 1919 Spanish Flu epidemic was the biggest killer in history and the deadliest disaster Brisbane ever endured. The story is, of course, dramatic and sad. It’s also inspirational: not only in terms of the heroic work done by doctors and nurses but also the work of police officers to stop the spread of the disease.
Constable Victor Anders and (3rd left) and three other Constables at Coolangatta, as part of the “Queensland Police Border Patrol”, May 23rd 1919. (QPM Image PM3833a)
Matthew Wengert is a historical researcher and writer with an interest in medical history and Queensland’s colonial frontier. He will discuss his research regarding the Spanish Flu and its arrival in Australia and will talk specifically about the roles police played during the epidemic–some funny, some very grim.
Matthew received the 2018 Brisbane City Council’s Lord Mayor’s Helen Taylor Research Award for Local History and has a book out called City in Masks: How Brisbane fought the Spanish Flu”.
This one-and-a-half-hour presentation will start at 11am on Sunday, 26 May and will be both informative and educational, and is suitable for any audience.
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The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Thursday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.
PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, 26 May from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.