What do we remember about polio? Poliomyelitis as a case study in Australian health histories

This talk presents early findings from Professor Coleborne's new research into the Australian experience of poliomyelitis (polio) in the middle of the twentieth century. It examines what we know about polio’s history and considers public awareness of polio in the 1950s and 1960s through promotional leaflets and publications produced by community organisations dedicated to the care of children and families living with polio in New South Wales. Cathy pays particular attention to the way public health knowledge was disseminated by the Health Division of the NSW Department of Health, as well as the strategies deployed by the Poliomyelitis Society in educating the public about polio through their community advocacy and support work.  

Cathy will also present some specific examples of how we might remember polio in the context of putting together an exhibition about histories of health and medicine in Newcastle and the region. She will point to gaps in the existing scholarship about polio in Australia, and the potential of new approaches to polio in a ‘health history’ framework that pays attention to public health to demonstrate the value of historical research to public health humanities.  

Professor Catharine Coleborne (Cathy) is an Australian academic historian of illness, health and medicine, especially mental illness and institutions. Her career contributions include a focus on patients, narratives and storytelling, including using institutional patient case notes, oral histories, legislation, and medical writing. Her scholarship investigates our understandings of health and illness over time including lay diagnoses and forms of post-institutional care. She has a new ARC Discovery Project focused on Australia’s memories of polio. She is based at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales where she is a Professor in the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences. Between 2025 and 2026, she has held a Visiting Fellow at the State Library of New South Wales and also a Fellowship at the National Library of Australia to investigate polio memories in Australia using oral histories.  

Entry is free but please register to assist us with event planning,

Learn more about the history of health care in Newcastle in the partner exhibition 'Say Aahhhh', curated by Professor Coleborne and colleagues.

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