Launcestonian, and Tasmanian Health Minister during the period Dr “Spot’’ Turnbull said the 1951 polio outbreak was worse than 1938 because of the “lack of cooperation by the public’’.

“With the Christmas holidays, everyone went away and forgot about polio … a number of organisations running regattas and sports meetings had been displeased because the Health Department had banned children. It is absurd that the department be picked on by associations because of their financial loss,’’ he said.

In January 1952, the second wave and closure of theatres, pools and sporting events brought protest.

“The polio committee closed theatres and banned large gatherings of children. These actions brought such an outcry that this year no doubt the committee left such decisions to the discretion of parents’’.

Christmas 2020 and we’ve adapted to closed borders, social distancing, no mass gatherings, the importance of wearing a mask, lockdown, curfews and, everywhere, hand sanitiser. Who’d have thought?

Strange how quickly we forgot those times – recorded by historian Anne Green in Billycarts and Wheelchairs – 75 Years of StGiles.

“At the end of September, The Examiner announced “Three cases of polio – one fatal – have been reported in Tasmania during the last few days’.

“By early November there were 18 reported cases in the state, with the larger portion in Hobart and only one in Launceston. Gradually the cases spread throughout the state. As if resigned to its arrival, there were no discussions as to quarantining mainlanders, isolating towns in Tasmania or even finger pointing at an area. Instead, simple precautions were urged; for children to avoid strenuous exercise, thus a number of school sports were cancelled, for groups of children not to congregate and a general warning as to good hygiene practices. Fifty cases were diagnosed by the end of November, 79 by Christmas and by the end of January, 139.’’

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