IN THEIR CARE: WOODMAN POINT QUARANTINE STATION

IN THEIR CARE: Woodman Point Quarantine Station

SPECIAL EVENT

140 years after Woodman Point Quarantine Station first opened, a new theatrical work brings one of its most extraordinary chapters back to life - staged in the very place it happened.

Proudly supported by the WA Government

Written by Jenny Davis,

Directed by Stuart Halusz

Featuring Cal Silberstein, Sienna Cate, Emily Lambert, Ryan Tierney and Emily Gelineau

WOODMAN POINT QUARANTINE STATION

Oct 31 | 2pm & 5pm
Nov 1 | 2pm & 5pm

Nov 6 | 4pm & 7pm
Nov 7 | 2pm & 5pm

Nov 8 | 2pm & 5pm

This year marks the 140th anniversary of Woodman Point Quarantine Station, a place steeped in stories of courage, sacrifice, isolation and survival. Now you have the chance to experience one of its most extraordinary chapters through a new theatrical work, performed on the heritage site itself.

In Their Care tells the story of the Boonah tragedy of 1918, when the troopship HMAT Boonah returned to Fremantle carrying hundreds of soldiers infected with Spanish influenza.

The Boonah was the last Australian troopship to leave Fremantle during World War I. After the Armistice was announced, she turned for home, but an outbreak of Spanish flu tore through her crowded decks. By the time the ship reached Fremantle, more than 300 cases had been reported, and the sickest soldiers were transferred to Woodman Point Quarantine Station. By the end of the crisis, 27 soldiers and four nurses had died.

Among those who answered the call were nurses who knowingly risked their own lives to care for the sick and dying. Their courage and devotion sit at the heart of In Their Care.

Performed in an intimate readers-theatre style and with a focus on words, music, powerful performances and evocative historical imagery, this new play brings to life an important and little-known part of Western Australia’s history.

Director Stuart Halusz says the setting creates a powerful connection between audience and history:

“In Their Care is about putting people back at the centre of this history. We know the broad facts of the Boonah tragedy, but behind those facts were individuals – soldiers, nurses, families and staff – who were confronted with fear, illness, separation and extraordinary choices. To tell their stories in the actual place where many of these events occurred is incredibly moving. The simplicity of the readers-theatre form allows the audience to listen, imagine and connect with these people in a very direct way.”

The production also draws on the wider history of the Quarantine Station, which for over a century operated as a place of isolation for people affected by infectious diseases including plague, Spanish flu, smallpox, leprosy, measles and scarlet fever. Around 350 – 400 vessels came under quarantine in Western Australia during the station’s history.

In Their Care is a rare chance to step inside a remarkable heritage site and encounter the human stories that remain embedded in its history.