Leprosy (Hansen’s disease) was introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s and its story reflects the attitudes of the 19th and 20th centuries, with treatment including segregation, paternalism, and racism. The approaches taken within the Australian states were similar and based on isolating people affected by leprosy, as both a measure to assist the patient but, more importantly, to protect the European society. The most devastating effects of this introduced disease and these approaches were on Indigenous Australians. With the advent of effective antimicrobials, isolation practices were slowly replaced with community-based treatment. However, the term ‘leper’ still evokes negative images in Australian society today.

麻风病（汉森氏病）于1800年代中期传入澳大利亚，其故事反映了19世纪和20世纪的态度，对种族隔离，家长式统治和种族主义等疾病进行了治疗。在澳大利亚各州采取的方法是相似的，其基础是隔离受麻风病影响的人，这既是帮助患者的措施，也是更重要的是保护欧洲社会的措施。这种引入的疾病和这些方法对澳大利亚土著居民的破坏力最大。随着有效抗菌剂的出现，隔离措施逐渐被社区治疗所取代。但是，“麻风病”一词在当今的澳大利亚社会仍然引起负面印象。