Many of you have probably heard of the Black Death or the bubonic plague. I must note that the Black Death may have not been caused by bubonic plague but back to the point. Sydney, Australia, experienced the bubonic plague during the early years of the twentieth century and the State Records Authority of NSW has created a nice gallery of photographs taken during the time. I have included a photograph of some professional ratcatchers with their haul as well as a photograph of a butcher’s shop.

The gallery, Purging Pestilence – The Bubonic Plague, features 20 excellent photographs as well as an overview of the outbreak. There are also links to government records and files regarding the outbreak. Additional photographs taken during the time can be found with this search of the State records.

This material would be useful as primary and secondary sources for teachers working with Year Nine students in NSW who are covering the history of Australia during the period 1900 to 1914. I shared all of the photographs, via a quick slideshow and an overhead projector, with my students in Year Nine yesterday, across three separate classes.

The butcher’s shop below and this photograph resulted in expressions of dismay and disgust as well as delight. That’s the way a classroom should be. Weave the photographs into a story and let the history stir their emotions. 

The gallery is part of a series of digital galleries that feature stories regarding tragic shipwrecks, criminal history, the bushranger Ned Kelly and famous murder cases just to name a few.