‘Typhoid Fever’ Many lives on the waterless goldfields of Western Australia were lost, not only from thirst but also from Typhoid Fever. In the 1890s, Typhoid was endemic throughout Australia. It struck at Perth, Western Australia’s capital itself, then in established outlying centres such as Northam and at temporary townships on the road to the […]
Typhoid Fever: A Raging Epidemic
During the 1890s typhoid fever in the Goldfields reached epidemic proportions. An infectious food and water-borne disease, typhoid was linked to poor sanitation, often combined with overcrowding. ‘Instant’ crowded tent towns, unsanitary conditions, and a limited fouled water supply combined with basic health amenities, provided ideal conditions for the spread of the disease. Its […]