centenary of quarantine 1908-2008 something to declare

1908

• Quarantine Act 1908 receives royal assent, providing a national approach to quarantine for the first time after State Premiers agree to hand over administration of quarantine to the Commonwealth in 1906.
  
• Appointment of the first Federal Director of Quarantine, Dr Perrin Norris.
  
• Government Bureau of Microbiology established to research plants, livestock and human diseases.

1909

• Federal Quarantine Service commences operations as a Commonwealth function within the Department of Trade and Customs.
  
• Regulations governing plant quarantine are put into operation.

1913

• Outbreak of smallpox in Sydney. Director of Quarantine declares a 15 mile quarantine zone around the city.

1916

• Appointment of a Commonwealth Medical Chief Quarantine Officer for all states except Tasmania (1927).

1918

• Hookworm campaign undertaken over five years to treat and survey the disease in Australia after serious outbreaks are discovered in North Queensland.

1919

• Outbreak of Spanish Influenza (thought to have originated from birds) kills 12 000 Australians and 50 million people worldwide.
  
• WWI ends and soldiers returning home from the Middle East and Europe are quarantined on arrival as potential carriers of the virus.
  
• Troops are held at North Head Quarantine Station, Nepean Point Quarantine Station and makeshift camps at the Sydney Cricket Ground before being allowed to reunite with their families.
  
• Borders between NSW, Victoria and Queensland are closed to prohibit travel as states are put under quarantine.
  
• Public information campaigns are run nationally ordering people to wear masks and advising them to avoid places of public gatherings including sports matches, churches and schools.
  
• Air quarantine introduced after the Smith brothers’ first successful air flight from Australia to England.

1921

• Commonwealth Department of Health established to coordinate influenza quarantine efforts nationally. John Cumpston appointed as its first Director General.
  
• Commonwealth Division of Veterinary Hygiene established.

1923

• Outbreak of Rinderpest thought to have been carried by Asian pigs and transmitted to cattle travelling on the same vessel eradicated.

1927

• Director of Plant Quarantine appointed within the Department of Health.

1930

• Outbreak of Newcastle Disease which produces high mortality in infected poultry is eradicated by combining quarantine, slaughter and safe disposal of carcasses.

1934

• Regular international air mail service established.

1935

• Prickly pear brought under control with 24 million hectares of land reclaimed.
  
• Regular international commercial air travel commences between England and Australia.

1945

• Commonwealth Department of Immigration formed.

1950-52

• Scrapie outbreak in Victoria in sheep imported from the UK is eradicated by slaughtering affected flock and placing property under quarantine for one year.

1955

• The number of post-WWII immigrants to Australia reaches 1 million.

1958

• Fruit fly exclusion zones introduced to halt spread and damage to fruit crops.

1961

• Classical Swine Fever brought under control after the first outbreak in 1903. The disease is only controlled by slaughtering animals at great cost to the pork industry.

1967

• Last case of Bovine Pleuro-Pneumonia detected and eliminated after being introduced from the UK in a herd of cattle causing huge losses to the cattle industry for over 100 years.

1969

• First container vessel discharges in Australia.

1977

• Emphasis in quarantine shifts to animal health with improvement in human health after WWII and global eradication of smallpox.

1980

• Giant African Snail, one of the most destructive pests to fruit, vegetables and native forests eradicated from Gordonvale in Far North Queensland.

1984

• Department of Health transfers animal and plant quarantine functions to the Department of Primary Industry and incorporates the Bureau of Animal Health to create the Australian Agricultural Health and Quarantine Service (AAHQS).

1986

• Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) established and takes responsibility for animal, pest and plant quarantine as well as border control after AAHQS and the existing Export Inspection Service are amalgamated.

1989

• Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy (NAQS) established by AQIS to monitor the presence of target pests and diseases not present in Australia but found in countries only several kilometres north of Australia (including Papaya Fruit Fly, Siam Weed, Rabies, Blue Tongue Virus, Classical Swine Fever, Black Sigatoka).
  
• Bovine Brucellosis eradicated.

1992

• AQIS’s first detector dog program trialled to assist with passenger quarantine surveillance at Brisbane Airport.

1993

• Asian Papaya Fruit Fly first detected on islands in the Torres Strait. It is a particularly destructive pest of a wide range of fruits.

1994

• Siam Weed detected in Far North Queensland in July. A long term nationally funded eradication campaign is in progress for this pest, which is one of the most invasive agricultural and environmental weeds of the tropics and sub-tropics.

1996

• X-Ray technology trialled for screening of international passenger baggage at Cairns Airport.
  
• ‘Australian Quarantine—a shared responsibility’ (also referred to as the Nairn Report) established by the Department of Primary Industries and Energy to review and make recommendations on Australia’s animal and plant quarantine policies and programs.

1997

• Government announces its response to the Nairn Report ‘Australian Quarantine—a shared responsibility’, and provides increased funding for implementation of key quarantine recommendations.
  
• Freedom from Bovine Tuberculosis.

1998

• Quarantine Matters! public awareness campaign launched to educate the Australian community and international travellers about quarantine.

1999

• Asian Papaya Fruit Fly eradicated from the Cairns region of Far North Queensland after initially being detected in 1995.

2000

• Introduction of co-regulation between AQIS and the horticultural industry.
  
• Sydney 2000 Olympics saw the management of equestrian teams, 15 000 athletes and officials, tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of tonnes of equipment with no quarantine breaches.
  
• Biosecurity Australia established to advise on quarantine policy.

2001

• Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks in Europe and UK—AQIS’s immediate response measures ensures Australia maintains its 130 year freedom from this disease.
  
• Staff and funding is increased as a consequence of the government’s response.

2002

• Steve Irwin becomes the ambassador for quarantine awareness, appearing in TV and print advertisements for the Quarantine Matters! campaign.
  
• Operation Minotaur held to simulate an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease to test Australia’s preparedness for a major agricultural disease outbreak. The first of its kind involving industry and government, Operation Minotaur led to significant improvements in areas of disease control, legislation, trade and communication.

2003

• Outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) reported overseas. Additional measures are put in place to screen passengers entering Australia from affected areas.
  
• Fatal human case of Avian Influenza reported overseas. Additional screening measures are put in place to identify and assess avian products coming into Australia to prevent the introduction of Avian Influenza.

2005

• Exercise Eleusis simulates an outbreak of Avian Influenza to evaluate industry and the government’s capability to manage such an outbreak in Australia.

2006

• Melbourne Commonwealth Games: AQIS is involved in clearing thousands of athletes and officials, as well as team equipment and cultural event display material and food items.
  
• Exercise Cumpston tests Australia’s preparedness for an influenza pandemic and is one of the largest ever health simulation exercises held in Australia and the world. It involved escalating border control and quarantine measures to reduce the risk of overseas travellers bringing the virus into Australia.

2007

• First sign of Equine Influenza in Australia detected in August.

2008

• In March, the Chief Veterinary Officer declares that Australia is free from Equine Influenza.
  
• March marks the Centenary of the signing of the Quarantine Act 1908.