Australian Story

Lest We Forget (25x15)

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Until COVID-19 struck, very few had ever spared a thought for the "forgotten flu" and the up to 15,000 Australians who died from the brutal pandemic that swept the globe during 1918-19. Despite the topic being memorialised extensively in the northern hemisphere, Australia’s experience of Spanish Flu was largely overlooked, perhaps because it was buried in the trauma of World War One which had just ended. Intrigued by the parallels with the current pandemic — the mask-wearing, the quarantining, the social isolation — Australian Story delved into the archives and sought out the country’s expert historians. For the first time on television, our producers have pulled together photos, video and oral testimonies to provide a unique insight into the time and discovered some remarkable stories of quiet courage and heroism from ordinary Australians.