THE ARCHIVIST: UNCOVERING TERRITORY HISTORY SUNDAY
sundayterritorian.com.au
1960
Doctors sick of poo
problems for 50 years
By ELLIE TURNER
DEADLY Shigella dysentery has
laid low scores of adults and children — and fuelled a local doctor’s
verbal bashing of the poo-shooter’s
overflow at Fannie Bay.
The disease was making headlines back on April 29, 1960, after
striking Darwin.
A progressive Dr Brotherton —
who could not have known the raw
sewage debate would carry on for
another half a century — declared
war on the open drainage system on
East Point Rd.
He labelled it ‘‘unsanitary’’.
‘‘Nothing has been done,’’ he told
the NT News.
‘‘There is no doubt this is not a
happy state of affairs with bacillary
dysentery about.’’
Dr Brotherton said he did not
think bacillary dysentery was any
more prevalent among adults now
that was usual for the time of year.
But he said the incidence among
children was higher.
FOUL SMELLS
His attack on the sewerage arrangements was aimed at the open drain
that runs into the swamp area on
East Point Rd.
Dr Brotherton said the ‘‘foul’’
smell annoyed people in the area.
He said one official tried to fob
him off by saying the overflow that
ran into the swamp was ‘‘diluted
with rain water’’.
‘‘You might as well say you dilute
a cow by turning him into a large
paddock,’’ he said.
‘‘The effect might be to dilute the
material from the sewer but you
can’t dilute a germ.’’
Another private doctor described
the situation now as an ‘‘outbreak
of dysentery’’.
He could not say how many cases
of Shigella he had treated by said it
was a severe type.
TIME TO ACT
A third professional said it was
‘‘high time’’ something was done.
The irate parent of a child who was
just recovering from the illness told
the NT News that people
should have been warned about the
symptoms and how to avoid Shigella dysentery.
The man — a senior public servant — said authorities had purposely avoided saying anything because they didn’t want to alarm
local people and ‘‘spoil the centenary celebrations’’.
Health Department director
Dr Webb said he had seen worse
outbreaks.
He said there was a clean-up at
Mindil Beach as the lack of facilities there was a ‘‘menace’’.
1960: OZ TOP 10 SINGLES
1960: WHAT ROCKED THE WORLD
1 It’s Now Or Never
Elvis Presley
Jan
2 Boom Boom Baby
3 He’ll Have To Go
Crash Craddock
Jim Reeves
Feb Algeria France tests its first atomic bomb — in the Sahara Desert
Apr S Africa PM Henrik Verwoerd is shot and seriously wounded
4 Are You Lonesome Tonight
5 Clap Your Hands
Elvis Presley
The Beau Marks
May MAD
Jul
USA
Madagascar, becomes independent from France
Harper Lee publishes her novel To Kill a Mockingbird
6 Just a Closer Walk With Thee
7 Save The Last Dance For Me
Jimmie Rodgers
The Drifters
Aug GER
Sep Congo
The Beatles begin a 48-night residency in Hamburg
Colonel Joseph Mobutu takes power in a coup
8 Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
9 Make Those Eyes At Me
Rolf Harris
Emilie Ford and The Checkmates
Oct USA
Nov UK
Cassius Clay wins his first professional boxing match
Penguin not guilty of obscenity for Lady Chatterley’s Lover
10 My Old Man’s A Dustman
Lonnie Donegan
Dec UK
Last day on which the farthing is legal tender
SOURCE: aria.com.au
www.ntnews.com.au
When Rolf Harris wasn’t making
hand octopuses in 1960, he was recording a hit single
The Reserve Bank and Commonwealth Bank are created
SOURCE: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960
Sunday, October 30, 2011. NT NEWS.
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