Browse Items (13 total)

The five highlighted areas accounted for 66% of all smallpox cases and 68% of all deaths during the outbreak. They were overwhelmingly occupied by some of the city's poorest residents.

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.

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

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 illustration encapsulating treatment of Chinese immigrants suspected of carrying smallpox. Violence against Sydney's Chinese became increasingly popular during the outbreak.

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.

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

An anti-Chinese cartoon.

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

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