Mayblooms and Cherrybobs Oral History Project: Spanish Flu Pandemic

Spanish Flu and Hawthorn When the Spanish Flu pandemic reached Australia's shores in early 1919, it became rapidly apparent to the population how swift and severe the outbreak would be. In Hawthorn, residents experienced the loss of neighbours, friends and loved ones to pneumonic influenza. Schools closed for months, and the community donned masks with concoctions of eucalyptus and menthol to combat the spread of disease. Listen to the resident's stories to understand how the Hawthorn Town Hall played an essential role in keeping the community safe throughout the Spanish Flu pandemic. ParticipantsMabel Holzer Lorna Lewis Roy Tabe Gina Triaca Mary Sutherland Arthur Rowe Helena Wilson Ernest Dixon Esther Rofe InterviewersJohn Hill Rene Papas Marianne Pierce Please consider the conversations in these recordings are of the time. Parental guidance is recommended for those 12 years and under. Image- V.A.D.s at Heidelberg Military Hospital, 1942. Members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment. Meryl Merchant, past Vice President of the Hawthorn Historical Society, is on the left of this group, and Lyn Gibson on the right. Copied from the collection of Mrs Meryl Merchant