Anthrax and Australia in a Global Context: the International Exchange of Theories and Practices with Britain and France, c.1850-1920

Many accounts of Australian economic and social development have centred on the importance of pastoralism. However, whilst these have acknowledged the critical role played by trade between Britain and Australia in fleeces and wool-based manufactured goods, the roles and importance of anthrax have remained hidden. This article maps the exchange of intellectual and practical tools designed to combat human and animal anthrax between Britain and Australia in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. In this period there was a dynamic, two-way exchange of theories and practices between Britain and Australia, facilitated by lay and professional investigations and a proactive periodical press. French bacteriologists also played a prominent role, exporting Pasteurian vaccination methods to Australia. These exchanges had a significant impact on attempts to control anthrax in at-risk districts and populations. By analysing anthrax in this fashion, we see that international communication networks aided the spread of intellectual and practical tools of disease prevention.