Invisible Invaders

An epidemic of smallpox among Aboriginal people around Sydney in 1789 puzzled the British, for there had been no cases on the ships of the First Fleet. Where, then, did the epidemic come from? Judy Campbell argues that epidemics of smallpox among Australian Aboriginals preceded European settlement. She believes they originated in regular visits to the northern coast of Australia by Macassan fishermen from southern Sulawesi and nearby islands. The fishermen visited during the monsoon and traded with local people, who then resumed their travels into the interior, carrying smallpox with them. Invisible Invaders uses hitherto unpublished material from 19th century archives about indigenous and introduced diseases. Judy Campbell's brilliant and original analysis challenges old assumptions and assumes special importance today.