Summary heading

Descriptive Note

Function and purpose

This series originally consisted of three non-archival quality albums of photographs (and some negatives) depicting the various buildings, equipment, functions and quarantined persons at the Quarantine Station located on Torrens Island South Australia. As part of a preservation project National Archives have repackaged the photographs into two archival quality display albums [Display Album 1 and 2].

The first two original albums photographs show the buildings and functions undertaken on Quarantine. A letter inside original album 1 indicated that the photographs were taken in 1924 during a visit of the 'Health Association' to the station however additional photographs were added over time. These photographs and letter are now held in Display Album 1.

The original album 3 contained a handwritten annotation on the inside cover indicating that the photographs are of patients that were taken off the SS Barrabool suffering from small pox in 1926. It contains explicit photographs of identified patients suffering from small pox as well as general photographs of the Contacts (Contacts are those people who may have been in contact with or contracted the infection).  The photographs have now been placed in Display Album 1 and 2 based on access provisions. Display Album 1 contains photographs which are open to public access and Display Album 2 contains photographs which are exempt from public access under paragraph 33 (1) (g) of the Archives Act 1983.

Physical characteristics

The original album 1 consisted of 17 pages bound together with cord. The double-sided pages held up to eight photographs in total. The size of album 1 was approximately 22 cm x 29 cm x 3 cm in size. This album was is in a dilapidated state with pages having separated both from the album bindings and backing paper, resulting in photographs coming loose and pages being intersorted.  Album 2 was more modern with pages being spiral bound within a red cover. The photographs were placed onto a sticky adhesive page with a plastic protection sheet. This album was 29 cm x 23.5 cm x 2 cm in size. Album 3 was a leather bound album containing doubled sided pages that held up to eight photographs in total. The album measures 23.5 cm x 31cm x 2.5cm in size.

System of arrangement and control

Due to the poor condition of the non-archival quality albums, the photographs were removed by the National Archives and arranged into two display albums [Display Album 1 and 2]. Display Album 2 contains those photographs exempt from public access under paragraph 33 (1) (g) of the Archives Act. Each photograph is controlled by a single number system.

Very few of the photographs in Display Album 1 have titles or dates hence neither the original layout nor the photographs taken during the Health Association visit could be identified to correctly arrange the photographs. This resulted in the photographs being sorted by the following methods; duplication, stamped or hand written number on the back of the photographs, similar handwriting, type of print or developers name.

The photographs in Display Album 2 have been arranged in the sequence from which they were taken out of the original albums 2 and 3.

Negatives found amongst the photographs have been placed at the end of Display Album 1.

Access conditions

Display Album 2 contains photographs which are exempt from public access under paragraph 33 (1) (g) of the Archives Act 1983.

Disposal history

The original covers for albums 1, 2 and 3 have been retained by National Archives.  All annotations on the albums have been transcribed to the relevant Display Album 1 and 2.

The original cover for album 2 is held with National Archives Preservation Section to use as a training tool to demonstrate the effects of poor quality packaging to house photographs. Album 2 format being pages spiral bound within a cover. Each page being a sticky adhesive with a plastic protection sheet.

Additional information

The photographs in Display Album 1 include the fumigation of vessels and linen, fumigation and laundry equipment, erection of buildings, sulphur pots, rabbits, beagles, loading/unloading of supplies, boarding launch Victoria with the oil tanker SS Plerodon, steam launch Cheopis along side the SV Oregon Pine, transfer of patients to the Cheopis, unloading of sulphur, carting of clay, various buildings including the bulk store, nurses quarters, isolation hospital and luggage sheds, aerial view of facility, administration block and passengers [contacts] from the SS Barrabool in 1926. There are also several photographs of buildings surrounded by water. These photographs may have been taken when the island was flooded with 4 feet of water from a king tide backed up by a severe storm in 1964.

Display Album 2 contains photograph and a synopsis of the steam launch SS Cheopis, troops (1939-45 war), general photographs of the facility, quarantine staff, unidentified war ship, fumigation equipment and small pox patients including those transferred from the SS Barrabool in 1926. The photographs of the troops may relate to various companies and battalions of the 2nd Australian Infantry Force. The admission and discharge register [D2305] records that on 7 April 1942 crew and Australian Infantry troops totalling 264 in number were transferred from the Transport Motor Vessel St Essylt with 6 of the compliment suffering from smallpox.

The admissions and discharge register for the Torrens Island Quarantine Station for the period 27 January 1923 to 9 November 1970 [Series D2305] shows that eighty-eight third class passengers from the SS Barrabool were transferred to the station during the period 11 April 1926 to 13 April 1926. The four passengers identified with the small pox infection were transferred on 11 April with the remaining passengers [Contacts] being transferred over the following two days. The first passenger was released from the quarantine station on 19 April 1926 with the remaining passengers being released randomly until the 8 June 1926 when the last of the passengers were released.