Does the Past hold the Answer to Pandemics & Natural Disasters ?

As the new decade of the 2020’s approached, the World witnessed the catastrophic fires that ravaged Australia burning some 18,636,079 hectares. This inconceivably colossal event spanned over 6 months from August 2019 to March 2020 causing devastation to all in its path. Whilst the population was grappling the with immensity and tragedy of these fires – a murmur was becoming increasingly prevalent.

A microscopic cataclysm was rapidly enveloping the World . . .

The fires that had choked our nation were barely extinguished when suddenly, lock-downs became the norm. From March 2020 – our freedoms were confiscated, our livelihoods threatened and most tragically, isolation from our families and friends enforced.

Meanwhile, floods razed the fire ravaged areas of the East Coast of Australia and COVID-19 spread.

It is impossible to comprehend that the leaders of this nation and the World did not refer to history as the pandemic took hold, as this is not the first pandemic the World has experienced.

Yet inconceivably “quarantine” was sited in hotels in the midst of our capital cities. Hotels that are not purpose built. Hotels whose air-conditioning is not designed to filter microscopic infections. Hotel staff who are not in medically trained. Yet, this was the tact of the experts in 2021.

Lockdowns throughout Australia became the norm as the populace struggled with house arrest and enforced isolation → as small business crumbled → as families were torn apart → as babies were born and relatives passed without the comfort of their loved ones → as friendships waned and savings dwindled . . .

Australia – a land girt by sea – a vast island continent with many islands hugging the shores – yet for the first time in history, quarantine was sited amidst our crowded capital cities.

History proves that travellers from infected countries must quarantine in purpose built facilities → the people of Australia should have remained free to live and work !!

History also demonstrates that pandemics should be kept away from general hospitals housing those that are already weakened by illness. Yet, hospitals specialising in infections diseases were closed, such as Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital in Melbourne – closed in 1997. Are we becoming too arrogant in believing pharmaceuticals and medicines can cure everything? We are yet to find a cure for viral diseases such as the common cold and the flu.

In this article we will explore

What is Quarantine ?

Quarantine is defined as a designated period of isolation (traditionally 40 days) in which people, product, produce, animals and plants arriving from another country are placed in a facility away from the population, to ensure that they are not suffering or carrying harmful and/or infectious disease.

Though in this current space in time Quarantine would appear to be a new phenomenon, it was documented some 3,500 years ago in Leviticus 13:


  1. 1.  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
  2. 2.  When anyone has a swelling or a rash or a bright spot on his skin that may become an infectious skin disease, [1] he must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons [2] who is a priest.
  3. 3.  The priest is to examine the sore on his skin, and if the hair in the sore has turned white and the sore appears to be more than skin deep, [3] it is an infectious skin disease. When the priest examines him, he shall pronounce him ceremonially unclean.
  4. 4.  If the spot on his skin is white but does not appear to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest is to put the infected person in isolation for seven days.
  5. 5.  On the seventh day the priest is to examine him, and if he sees that the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to keep him in isolation another seven days.
  6. 6.  On the seventh day the priest is to examine him again, and if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a rash. The man must wash his clothes, and he will be clean.
  7. 7.  But if the rash does spread in his skin after he has shown himself to the priest to be pronounced clean, he must appear before the priest again.
  8. 8.  The priest is to examine him, and if the rash has spread in the skin, he shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious disease.
  9. 9.  When anyone has an infectious skin disease, he must be brought to the priest.
  10. 10.  The priest is to examine him, and if there is a white swelling in the skin that has turned the hair white and if there is raw flesh in the swelling,
  11. 11.  it is a chronic skin disease and the priest shall pronounce him unclean. He is not to put him in isolation, because he is already unclean.
  12. 12.  If the disease breaks out all over his skin and, so far as the priest can see, it covers all the skin of the infected person from head to foot,
  13. 13.  the priest is to examine him, and if the disease has covered his whole body, he shall pronounce that person clean. Since it has all turned white, he is clean.
  14. 14.  But whenever raw flesh appears on him, he will be unclean.
  15. 15.  When the priest sees the raw flesh, he shall pronounce him unclean. The raw flesh is unclean; he has an infectious disease.
  16. 16.  Should the raw flesh change and turn white, he must go to the priest.
  17. 17.  The priest is to examine him, and if the sores have turned white, the priest shall pronounce the infected person clean; then he will be clean.
  18. 18.  When someone has a boil on his skin and it heals,
  19. 19.  and in the place where the boil was, a white swelling or reddish-white spot appears, he must present himself to the priest.
  20. 20.  The priest is to examine it, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it has turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is an infectious skin disease that has broken out where the boil was.
  21. 21.  But if, when the priest examines it, there is no white hair in it and it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days.
  22. 22.  If it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is infectious.
  23. 23.  But if the spot is unchanged and has not spread, it is only a scar from the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
  24. 24.  When someone has a burn on his skin and a reddish-white or white spot appears in the raw flesh of the burn,
  25. 25.  the priest is to examine the spot, and if the hair in it has turned white, and it appears to be more than skin deep, it is an infectious disease that has broken out in the burn. The priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious skin disease.
  26. 26.  But if the priest examines it and there is no white hair in the spot and if it is not more than skin deep and has faded, then the priest is to put him in isolation for seven days.
  27. 27.  On the seventh day the priest is to examine him, and if it is spreading in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is an infectious skin disease.
  28. 28.  If, however, the spot is unchanged and has not spread in the skin but has faded, it is a swelling from the burn, and the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only a scar from the burn.
  29. 29.  If a man or woman has a sore on the head or on the chin,
  30. 30.  the priest is to examine the sore, and if it appears to be more than skin deep and the hair in it is yellow and thin, the priest shall pronounce that person unclean; it is an itch, an infectious disease of the head or chin.
  31. 31.  But if, when the priest examines this kind of sore, it does not seem to be more than skin deep and there is no black hair in it, then the priest is to put the infected person in isolation for seven days.
  32. 32.  On the seventh day the priest is to examine the sore, and if the itch has not spread and there is no yellow hair in it and it does not appear to be more than skin deep,
  33. 33.  he must be shaved except for the diseased area, and the priest is to keep him in isolation another seven days.
  34. 34.  On the seventh day the priest is to examine the itch, and if it has not spread in the skin and appears to be no more than skin deep, the priest shall pronounce him clean. He must wash his clothes, and he will be clean.
  35. 35.  But if the itch does spread in the skin after he is pronounced clean,
  36. 36.  the priest is to examine him, and if the itch has spread in the skin, the priest does not need to look for yellow hair; the person is unclean.
  37. 37.  If, however, in his judgment it is unchanged and black hair has grown in it, the itch is healed. He is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.
  38. 38.  When a man or woman has white spots on the skin,
  39. 39.  the priest is to examine them, and if the spots are dull white, it is a harmless rash that has broken out on the skin; that person is clean.
  40. 40.  When a man has lost his hair and is bald, he is clean.
  41. 41.  If he has lost his hair from the front of his scalp and has a bald forehead, he is clean.
  42. 42.  But if he has a reddish-white sore on his bald head or forehead, it is an infectious disease breaking out on his head or forehead.
  43. 43.  The priest is to examine him, and if the swollen sore on his head or forehead is reddish-white like an infectious skin disease,
  44. 44.  the man is diseased and is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean because of the sore on his head.
  45. 45.  The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, [4] cover the lower part of his face and cry out, Unclean! Unclean!’
  46. 46.  As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.
  47. 47.  If any clothing is contaminated with mildew–any woolen or linen clothing,
  48. 48.  any woven or knitted material of linen or wool, any leather or anything made of leather–
  49. 49.  and if the contamination in the clothing, or leather, or woven or knitted material, or any leather article, is greenish or reddish, it is a spreading mildew and must be shown to the priest.
  50. 50.  The priest is to examine the mildew and isolate the affected article for seven days.
  51. 51.  On the seventh day he is to examine it, and if the mildew has spread in the clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather, whatever its use, it is a destructive mildew; the article is unclean.
  52. 52.  He must burn up the clothing, or the woven or knitted material of wool or linen, or any leather article that has the contamination in it, because the mildew is destructive; the article must be burned up.
  53. 53.  But if, when the priest examines it, the mildew has not spread in the clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or the leather article,
  54. 54.  he shall order that the contaminated article be washed. Then he is to isolate it for another seven days.
  55. 55.  After the affected article has been washed, the priest is to examine it, and if the mildew has not changed its appearance, even though it has not spread, it is unclean. Burn it with fire, whether the mildew has affected one side or the other.
  56. 56.  If, when the priest examines it, the mildew has faded after the article has been washed, he is to tear the contaminated part out of the clothing, or the leather, or the woven or knitted material.
  57. 57.  But if it reappears in the clothing, or in the woven or knitted material, or in the leather article, it is spreading, and whatever has the mildew must be burned with fire.
  58. 58.  The clothing, or the woven or knitted material, or any leather article that has been washed and is rid of the mildew, must be washed again, and it will be clean.”
  59. 59.  These are the regulations concerning contamination by mildew in woolen or linen clothing, woven or knitted material, or any leather article, for pronouncing them clean or unclean.

[2] Traditionally leprosy; the Hebrew word was used for various diseases affecting the skin–not necessarily leprosy; also elsewhere in this chapter.
[2] Or descendant
[3] Or be lower than the rest of the skin; also elsewhere in this chapter
[45] Or clothes, uncover his head

Source:  http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/LEV+13.html


It is fascinating to realise that procedures to deal with pandemics had been devised thousands of years ago !!

More recently, in the mid-1300’s AD, a bubonic plague which became known as the “Black Death” is said to have originated in Mongolia, spreading to China, India, Persia, Syria and Egypt during the early 1340’s. It is purported to have reached the rest of Europe and Asia via ships from the Black Sea region arriving at the Sicilian Port of Messina. Most on board were already dead, and the few survivors were gravely ill, covered in black boils oozing blood and pus. The plague quickly spread via the trade routes, lasting decades . . .

In the historical records of Durbovnik, Croatia, a meeting held on the 27th July 1377 determined that a new law be decreed enforcing all those arriving from plague infested areas quarantine for one month on the island of Mrkan or in the town of Catvat before entering Durbovnik. Should residents of Dubrovnik be caught visiting or bringing supplies to those in quarantine, they too would spend a month in quarantine.

The correlation between disease and transmission via air or on surfaces had been determined, hence the practice of quarantining entire ships for a month before unloading became the norm. A flag system was adopted to notify ports of any suspicion or cases of disease on board – a system that remained in place well into the 19th century.

The first permanent hospital to manage the plague was opened by the Republic of Venice in 1423 on the small island of Santa Maria di Nazareth. These hospitals were adopted throughout the World and were generally sited at a safe distance from populated areas – usually surrounded by a natural barrier (e.g. sea, river, etc.) to prevent escapees infiltrating the cities.

Quarantine was adopted throughout the World in the following centuries as trade expanded with faster means of transportation risking the spread of diseases such as Yellow Fever, Smallpox, Cholera, Typhus, Dysentery and the like.

Pandemics in Australia

Pandemics are not new to Australia. In fact, the first pandemic began with the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 and continued as the first settlers traversed the land – almost devastating Australia’s ancient indigenous population.

The need for quarantine was realised in Australia in the early 19th century. Some examples are:

Sydney’s Q Station

Sydney’s Q Station was established in 1832 to quarantine early immigrants afflicted by disease. Located on the North Head at the entrance into Sydney Cove, ships suspected of carrying disease would quarantine at the station from the time it opened on the 14th August 1832 until its closure on the 29th February 1984.

Quarantine at Port Phillip

Melbourne was barely 5 years old when the Barque ‘Glen Huntly’ arrived sporting the dreaded yellow flag with 157 emigrants and Typhus on board. She arrived in Hobson’s Bay on 17th April 1840, anchoring off Williamstown. The Barque was declared a ‘fever ship’ and Captain Buchanan was ordered to cross the Bay and anchor off the Bluff at Point Ormond. Two quarantine camps were established on the Bluff – one camp housed the infected passengers with Surgeon Superintendent Browne in charge, whilst the other was controlled by Dr. Barry Cotter and accommodated those who showed were symptom free. Fortunately only 6 new cases of fever were revealed after landing, leaving 108 in the “healthy camp”. The quarantine measures were successful as Melbourne was spared from the disease. The new arrivals were released in stages – on the 27th May, 1st June and finally on the 13th June. Both these quarantine camps were visited regularly by Superintendent Latrobe.

Relocation of the graves of the sailors from the Glen Huntly who died of Typhus at the old Quarantine Station - Red Bluff, Ormond Point - 1840
Sydney Morning Herald (NSW) – 12 Aug 1898

For some 60 years the three graves served as a reminder of the tragedy that befell the ‘Glen Huntly’:

There were no trees or flowers on the bluff, only two large granite slabs where two shipwrecked sailors had been buried. There were no names on the slabs, only the date which I do not remember. My mother wrote a poem called ‘The Nameless Sailors Graves’.

Source: Amie Stirling c 1877

The sea gradually eroded the bluff threatening the graves which were re-opened on the 27th August 1898. Though the red gum coffins had turned to dust, the skeletons were reasonably intact. The remains were placed into three separate coffins and re-buried in the St Kilda Cemetery.

The quarantine station was closed in the 1850’s and its operations transferred to Point Nepean.

On the 22nd December 1852, the Clipper ‘Ticonderoga’ arrived in Port Phillip riddled with Typhus Fever. A quarantine station and cemetery were hastily established at the new site on Point Nepean. 170 passengers of the ‘Ticonderoga’ died – 70 of which perished upon their arrival to Port Phillip. Two monuments erected on the site of the original cemetery evoke the memory of this enormous tragedy.

A Disinfecting & Bathing Complex was added to Quarantine Station 1866 and later expanded due to potential threats in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Spanish Flu pandemic marked the end of World War 1 in 1918. Cases of the Spanish Flu began to appear in Australia in early 1919 resulting in approximately 40% of the population falling ill and some 15,000 deaths.

Conclusion

Pandemics have ravaged humanity for thousands of years. Systems and solutions were devised in the time of Moses. No matter how clever we think we are, we should never underestimate the power of nature. This decade has already witnessed the power of the megafire of 2020 together with the power of the microscopic virus that stopped the World.

But these are not new phenomena. Melbourne experienced both the first reported fire megafire and flood in 1851 and 1863 respectively, noting the Melbourne was only founded in 1835. The first pandemic to hit Australia was in Sydney in 1788 . . .

Yet the media would have us believe that these events are unique to our time.

The latest pandemic, COVID-19, has thus far resulted in some 1,800 deaths in Australia 179,000 COVID-19 cases have been recorded – equating to 0.7% of the population, as at November 2021.

Tragically, over the same period of time, 6,457 people have died by their own hand . . .

Mandated vaccines; house arrest; curfews, isolation; intensive propaganda designed to divide families, friends and communities; failing businesses; financial stress – have all contributed to a social and economical collapse in this ‘Lucky Country’. The lack of cohesion between the states and the national governments have once again proven the lack of professionalism and the absence of a plan for this beautiful continent.

But why would we expect anything different from governance? It is up to each and every one of us ‘ordinary’ people to change the way we live. After all, if we look after our own backyards, families and communities – what a wonderful World this would be.

POI Historian

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