This is a multi-cache which means you will need to find some information to help you find where the cache is hidden. Its not hidden at or in close proximity to the cemetery, although you need to visit two graves here. - see< 'To Find The Cache' further down in the description.
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919 is said to have killed 27 million people worldwide, more than double the number of people killed in the Great War. The illness came on suddenly and progressed rapidly to respiratory failure and in some instances death. It mostly affected people between the ages of 15 to 40.
In Australia, despite stringent quarantine measures affecting travellers entering Australia from overseas, the first flu outbreak in the general public was recorded in Melbourne in January 1919. By late January, the flu had spread to Sydney which meant that NSW declared itself “infected” therefore Queensland closed its borders. Locally, the border was closed at 2pm on Thursday, 29th of January and the fence was patrolled by police reinforcements sent from Brisbane. While the area was still disease free, no-one was allowed to cross into Queensland, to do so illegally would incur a large fine and a period of isolation. There are stories, however, of individuals ‘caught’ on the wrong side of the fence when it was closed, so the closure must have been without warning.
It should be noted that Coolangatta in those days was pretty much a holiday town due to its proximity to the beach. Yes it did have some permanent residents and a number of business but it had no butcher, baker or milkman, nor schools, banks or even a full post office. It wasn't self-sufficient, all of these services had been supplied by Tweed Heads businesses.
Meanwhile, Queenslanders trapped in Sydney were trying to make their way back home the best way they could. Sea travel was off limits. No captain wanted his vessel to be quarantined in Brisbane, so for many travelling to Tweed Heads or Wallangarra (near Tenterfield) via train was the only option. Trouble was, once they got there they couldn’t travel any further, which meant severe overcrowding at both centres.
To assist with helping Queenslanders return home, quarantine camps were set up. The camp for Tweed Heads was sited at Shark Bay. For six shillings and six pence you could be the guest of the Queensland Government for seven days, receive two influenza inoculations and three or four inhalation treatments before being allowed to travel on to Brisbane via ‘special’ train. Some camp inmates reported it to be a holiday like experience, others complained of conditions. Extreme wet weather in early March made the tent city a quagmire and Greenmount guesthouse was taken over to accommodate women and children. The first group of 200 entered the camp on the 8th of February and by the time the camp closed on the 6th of March over 1500 people had been processed.
In late May, Federal border restrictions replaced state control and police patrols were withdrawn on 23rd May. At this time all that was needed to cross the border was a federal health certificate however by this stage the flu was rife in Brisbane and rapidly spreading through the state.
The first cases of the flu locally were reported on the 28th of May. By the 16th of June over 100 cases had been reported. The local Red Cross society established an emergency kitchen supplying nourishing food for those in need. By the 28th of June, the Border Star newspaper was reporting over 314 cases. The Tweed Daily of that time reports that :—"The influenza epidemic continues to rage in most of the homes in Tweed Heads. Although there are few serious cases there are not many houses that have not had a visit from the scourge.” By mid August, no fresh cases had been reported and the emergency flu hospitals were closing.
To Find The Cache
The first waypoint will take you to the graves of the Peate family. Both Thomas and his son Ernest died within weeks of each other from pneumonia caused by influenza. The Peate family were prominent cane farmers from Cudgen.
Both Thomas and his son Ernest are buried with other members of the Peate family. To calculate Ground Zero note Sophia and John Thomas’s ages at their dates of death. Base your calculations on whole years, ignore any months.
Ground Zero is at S28 09.(Sophia + 805) E153 32.(John Thomas + 674)
You are going to Shark Bay, approximately 1.5km away. This will be a busy spot in the holiday season and over summer, therefore parking close to GZ may be a problem at peak times, but can be a nice walk if you park slightly further away
The container is a small plastic tube approximately 10cm long</.p>