Quarantine in 1855

A recent donation to Local Studies is the book "Humin Hopes" edited by Rob Wills. This book gives the 1855 diary of Charles Moore, and English immigrant to Australia on the Constitution, which was quarantined at North Head due to smallpox on board. Remarkably, survivors of the trip organised a 50th anniversary reunion at the Quarantine Station in 1905, and further reunions of their descendants have been held thereafter, most recently in 2005. An obelisk at North Head commemorates the Constitution's passengers. "Humin Hopes" gives a rich, rounded picture of immigrant life in the 1850s and thereafter, with some remarkable photographs. Its donor, Elaine Goggin, is herself a descendant of one of the passengers.

Those interested in the quarantine station may also like to read about the voyage of the Minerva, and its horrific spell in quarantine in 1838. A detailed article by George and Shelagh Champion, The Ship Minerva in Quarantine, has just been made available on the Library website under the Local Studies - Historical Articles page, and is recommended as a graphic portrayal of the struggles of dedicated medical men against officialdom.