The forgotten pandemic: 1900 bubonic plague in Sydney

Barry Catchlove

“Interest in COVID-19 has made many people aware of the so-called Spanish flu pandemic, which killed millions worldwide post World War I. We also have some recollection of the more recent SARS, MERS and Ebola outbreaks, though none of these came to Australia. But when we think of bubonic plague or ‘the black death’ as it is also known, most of us think of Europe in the Middle Ages, where it is estimated that the plague killed between 30–60% of the population…”