Browse Items (13 total)

A newspaper article reporting on the first suspected smallpox case. The victim was the child of a prominent Chinese merchant.

A letter to the editor arguing against compulsory vaccination.

Part of a cartoon summarising the events of the outbreak. Blame was widely placed on Sydney's Chinese population.

In 1888, an attempt to repeal the Influx of Chinese Restriction Act 1881 was voted down. Strong anti-Chinese sentiments had persisted since the epidemic and this was reflected in parliament.

The smallpox outbreak catalysed efforts to restrict Chinese immigration to the colony on a parliamentary level, culminating in the Influx of Chinese Restriction Act 1881. There was significant debate surrounding the particulars of this bill. This…

An anti-Chinese cartoon.

A famous anti-Chinese cartoon. Note the animalisation of the Chinese figure.

An editorial attacking Chinese immigrants. It was widely believed that the Chinese were harbingers of transmissible diseases due to their 'dirtiness'.

Officials were meticulous in their efforts to ensure the outbreak was confined to Sydney. Passengers of both ships and trains frequently underwent health checks or were quarantined.

Fumigation was commonly employed during the outbreak in an attempt to prevent the disease from spreading. In this illustration, railway passengers at the New South Wales border are being fumigated.