Boonah crisis

[1] Carrying about 1200 soldiers of the First Australian Imperial Force,[2] she arrived in Durban, South Africa just three days after the armistice was signed and on hearing the news, made arrangements to return home promptly.

[3] Another troop ship, the Wyreema had departed South Africa ahead of the Boonah and remained in radio contact throughout the eastward return journey across the Indian Ocean.

The Wyreema's troop commanding officer, P.M. McFarlane wrote "the troopship Boonah was two days behind us and we picked up her wireless messages nightly, detailing the daily increasing number of men suffering from pneumonia influenza.

After some delay in gaining approval, the ship anchored in Gage Roads, and 300 of the most unwell soldiers were ferried ashore to the Quarantine Station at Woodman Point, south of Fremantle.

Wrangling continued between the State Minister for Health, Sir Hal Colebatch, and the federal immigration authorities, and tensions increased to the point that the returned servicemen's association made threats to storm the ship to take the sick men to shore.