This Day in History: 1936-10-31

Dr. C.C. Fenton departed from Darwin on a mercy flight to Bathurst Island on 31 October 1936 to combat an outbreak of influenza. To enable him to attend nearly 200 aborigines and children and a Roman Catholic nun, who are victims of fever and influenza, which is sweeping Bathurst Island, the Civil Aviation Department granted Dr. Fenton a temporary certificate of airworthiness for his Gipsy Moth aircraft. Accompanied by Brother Smith, of the Bathurst Island Roman Catholic Mission, Dr. Fenton took off at 5 p.m. According to a wireless telephone message received at Darwin from missionaries on the island, the nun is seriously ill. Until a certificate was granted, the Darwin medical authorities were in a predicament as all attempts to obtain a fast launch to take a doctor to the island had been without result, while endeavors to secure an aeroplane had also proved negligible. Following Dr. Fenton’s flight from Darwin to China in April, the Civil Aviation Department refused to grant him a certificate of airworthiness for his Gipsy Moth ‘plane. The Qantas Empire Airways station engineer, Mr. N. D. Hagartz, who is pilot and owner of a two-seater private ‘plane, was approached, but found it impossible to make the journey. The only other available ‘plane was that belonging to Dr. Fenton, who flew the ‘plane from Katherine to Darwin on Wednesday, and yesterday fitted a new propeller to the machine. The outbreak of fever and influenza is stated to be the worst in the history of Bathurst Island. More than 70 children at the mission were ill. Early on the previous day Brother Smith left Darwin in the mission lugger, St. Frances, to take medical supplies to the island. About 20 miles from Darwin the vessel encountered a hurricane, which damaged the auxiliary engine and sails. Brother Smith was forced to return to Darwin for repairs, but when advised that Dr. Fenton had been permitted to make the flight he decided to accompany him. Source: Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld.) Mon 2 Nov 1936, Page 2, EPIDEMIC ON ISLAND.