# History of public health in Australia

The History of public health in Australia covers public health in Australia since 1787. The history saw incremental progress against high death rates . The 19th century experience came as a British colony and reflected many characteristics of the history of public health in the United Kingdom. Legislative milestones, scientific breakthroughs, and grassroots advocacy collectively modernized a landscape once dominated by disease and high death rates. Hospitals moved from the periphery to the center of public health services and the national budget. Challenges like bad urban sanitation, epidemics, tuberculosis, and infant mortality were largely resolved by the early 20th century. The article also includes Aboriginal Australians along with Torres Strait Islanders, regarding their severe health conditions.

## Origins
### Aboriginal health

Australia was largely isolated from the great epidemic diseases of the rest of the world. In 1788 the British ended that, bringing smallpox and many other germs for which the Aboriginal element had no immunities.

### British prison colonies 1787-1850

In 1787 the British government shipped 700 prisoners, both male and female, to permanent exile in the new possession of Australia. They were accompanied by 400 guards and three physicians. Dr. John White played a crucial role in establishing the Colonial Medical Service with basic medical care for everyone.
Navy ships kept arriving for the next six decades, always with prisoners who became very sick en route, or their corpses. Others died as they were exposed to the new disease environment-- It was not a new phenomena: European settlers in North America, as well as. Australia had very high death rates. White opened the first hospital for prisoners in 1788. It was greatly expanded it by 1811, as thousands more prisoners poured in. Farming was difficult along the coast, but proved successful inland. Most of the prisoners who served out their time remained in Australia as did many of the guards. Owning a farm was virtually impossible back home, but now farmland was practically free. However, smallpox, scurvy and dysentery were constant companions and did not have cures.

## 21st century

The long political battle between left and right has resulted in a compromise that includes both private system (with insurance, doctors and hospitals) as well as a tax-funded public system.

#### Medibank

Medibank is the nation's largest private health insurance provider, covering around 4.2 million customers in 2024. Medibank initially started as an Australian Government not-for-profit insurer in 1976, before becoming for-profit in 2009 under the Rudd Government and privatised by the Abbott government in 2014.

#### Medicare

Medicare is the publicly funded federal government program that has provided universal health care since 1984 for all citizens and some visitors. It covers all of the cost of public hospital services. It also covers some health services provided by GPs and medical specialists such as physiotherapy, community nurses and basic dental services for children. Medicare's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) lowers the price of some prescription medicines.