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| Miles Street, Kirra looking towards Tweed Heads, April 2020 family photographer |
One hundred and one years ago, in the summer of 1919, a global pandemic made its mark on the border towns of Tweed Heads and Coolangatta. The border fence, which had long been in place, took prominence again.
The state known as Queensland was once merely the northern extent of New South Wales. It came into being in 1859 when Queen Victoria signed the separation papers, 20 years after the state became convict free. For several years, there was much discussion about where to draw the dotted line in "the best interests of Moreton Bay".
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THE NORTH AUSTRALIAN. IPSWICH, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1857. (1857, November 10).
The North Australian, Ipswich and General Advertiser (Ipswich, Qld. : 1856 - 1862), p. 3.
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| One of the "Coloured Shell Series, Queensland Views" circa 1910 |
As soon as the influenza outbreak was confirmed, the border gates were closed, and the existing No Man's Land demarcation between two fences made sure that the illness could not be spread while in close proximity to the fence.
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| Alsa-Fame Local Views, 1943 |
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| View from Razorback (NSW) to Greenmount (Qld), circa 1960 family photographer |
On the Coolangatta side quarantine camps were set up for Queensland travellers returning from New South Wales. This was necessary because people refused to travel according to government guidelines:
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"This route home should never have been permitted by the New South Wales authorities, as the best and fastest way to get the Queensland people home was by direct boat from Sydney to Brisbane."
(Thank goodness the Kirra cruise liner terminal was scuppered.)
Even after 101 years, Australians will still be Australians:
"... but after all personal inconvenience is not to be considered in a case like this when so many lives and so much else depends on the strict maintenance in quarantine."
CURRENT TOPICS. (1919, March 5).
Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949), p. 2.
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Just like in today's quarantine hotels, albeit more poetically, there were complaints about the food;
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| 'Flu Waves. (1919, June 26). Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949), p. 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192260872 |
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| "PATHOS AND BATHOS." (1919, February 15).
Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949), p.7
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192261677 |
There was one significant difference however. An inoculation was available
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| Advertising (1919, February 15). Tweed Daily (Murwillumbah, NSW : 1914 - 1949), p. 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192261608 |
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| No police necessary Base of souvenir glass dish, circa 1940s |
Even after the epidemic was over, the gates remained poised for action until 1957, causing traffic jams, but no doubt providing a useful source of employment including for tourism photographers.
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| Unknown tourist |
The crossing itself was certainly better corralled than in the summer of 2020:
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| Heading towards Coolangatta looking over from New South Wales, April 2020 family photographer |
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| plastic bollards cross the northern end of Bay Street, Tweed Heads, NSW looking over from Queensland, April 2020 The trees on the left hide the stalwart Tweed Heads Primary School family photographer |
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| Ceramic dish commemorating the Point Danger Light which has straddled the border since 1970. Despite the label, the beachball girl is standing in NSW. |
The locals have lived with one foot on each side of the crossing since 1859, and will resume that natural inclination to ignore the border. This year, unfortunately, the commemorations will be a little less-lighthearted.
