In 1789, a disease tore through communities around Sydney Cove leaving dead bodies scattered along the shorelines. Some think this outbreak was a fire deliberately lit.
In 1763, British soldiers were thought to have been involved in giving blankets and a handkerchief contaminated with smallpox to Native Americans during an extended military campaign to quash an uprising against colonial rule.
For Dr Wenitong, the historical proximity of the North American incidents to the arrival in Australia is suspect. "People may say, 'Oh, that's conjecture' — but it's not that much different from what they were doing by poisoning water holes or shooting people," he says. "Did that leave the opportunity to open up Pandora's box? It will never be solved … but certainly, with me, it fits with the catastrophe that happened."
Transparency is an important step towards building trust now, especially in public health. Economic historian Noel Butlin put it at around 1 million people — but it seems that number quickly fell.
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