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Engineers, he \vas eminently suited to offer advice; indeed, there lvas
no better person, for he was one of the conunissioners appointed to the
Health of Towns Conunission in 1844 to enquire into the state of large
tmvns and populous districts in England and Wales .
A resident of
Woolwich for seven years, Denison was responsible for the Report on the
State of Woolwich and Salisbury (London , 1845) which claimed that the
cause of diseases in parti cular localities could be traced to the
absence of drainage, neglect of the proper cleansing of the surface of
streets by scavengers, and the prevalence of dirty habits among st the
population arising principally from \vant of water .
In every district
and large town in England and Wales , the Conuni ssioners found the same :
that disease prevailed \vhere there was no drainage, bad ventilation,
overcrowding of houses and general \vant of cleanliness.
offered the benefit of his experience to Hobart Town .
Now Denison
Pointing out that
the prevalence of scarlet fever had induced him to present the. paper , he
detailed the evidence as found by the Health of TO\,'TlS Commi ssion, and
then proceeded to enquire into the principles by which a proper system of
drainage could be regulated in Hobart Town and Launceston, discussing
briefly the position, size, construction and material of sewers .
paper concluded \vith a plan for financing the se,.;erage system by the
raising of a loan.
wrote:
On December 2, 1853 , the Hobart Town Advertiser
Drainage and sewerage has begun to occupy a prominent place
in the consideration of the inhabitants . The ab le paper
read by Sir William Denison on this subject before the Royal
Society and since presented in the form of a pamphlet, has
given it an impetus . The late fearful epidemic, due in a
great measure to the miasma generat.ed under the city, has
given it an importance , unfortunately, impressed too deeply
on every one by the loss of relative or fri end .
•
In editorials on December 1 and December 2 the Advertiser and the Courier
pleaded with the Government , the Corporation and the people to heed the
lessons of the last year and to take action before it was too late .
Almost despairingly, the voice of the Courier rang out :
.... At all events it is beyond a doubt that smallpox has been
raging throughout the extent of the Pacific Islands and
conunitting fearful ravages there. It is not rational to
conclude but that it wi ll march upon the Australian colonies
at no distant time, and follow in the \vake of the fever ,..,h ich
has been permitted to afflict, and is nO\v afflicting our
population. What sort of preparation are we making for it ?
Is a stir got up about cleansing and ventilating dwellings ?
Is the drainage of Hobart Town being diligently discussed ?
The