Plagues and Federation: The Diary of Kitty Barnes, the Rocks, Sydney, 1901

In 1900, Kitty Barnes finds herself amidst the chaos of a burgeoning plague sweeping through Sydney. As the Black Death reemerges, a pall of fear and uncertainty envelops the city. Through her diary, Kitty chronicles the devastating impact of the bubonic plague on her community, entwining her personal struggles with the broader fight for survival. The vivid details of her encounters reveal the resilience of the human spirit in the face of a relentless and invisible enemy.

As the epidemic unfolds, Kitty grapples with the implications of government measures, contrasting her intimate world with the overarching realities of health crises and societal upheaval. Her observations not only document the personal toll of the plague but also capture the essence of early 20th-century life in Sydney. Kitty's diary becomes an essential testament to a period marked by fear, hope, and the fight for unity in the face of adversity, painting a poignant picture of a time that forever altered the course of history.