Silence, stigma and survival: polio in postwar Australia

About this episode

The episode explores the impact of polio outbreaks in postwar Australia and the ongoing experiences of survivors.

In the 1950s, Australia endured several dangerous outbreaks of polio - a highly infectious disease that threatened lifelong paralysis. Many aging survivors are still living with its impacts today, including the mother of Professor Catharine Coleborne, a historian of medicine at the University of Newcastle. Now, Catharine is surveying Australia's archival records to better understand the experiences of people who contracted polio in the postwar period. It's a story not just of physical debilitation, but also intense social stigma and fear. Guest: Catharine Coleborne, Professor of History at the University of Newcastle. Her project is called “My Mother’s Polio: Australian Experiences of Poliomyelitis, 1950s to 1960s”. Producer: Jack Schmidt

People in this episode

Guest: Catharine Coleborne

Topics covered

• polio
• postwar Australia
• social stigma
• health history
• medical experiences

Keywords

• polio
• Australia
• 1950s
• survivors
• stigma
• health
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Newcastle, ABC Australia

Books & works: My Mother’s Polio: Australian Experiences of Poliomyelitis, 1950s to 1960s

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