It is 1919, the end of May is near and exhausted soldiers have returned home from World War I to a government settlement in southern Queensland, longing to see family and friends left behind only to find many haven't survived.

Key points: 15 per cent of Cherbourg's population died within three weeks in 1919 as a result of Spanish influenza

15 per cent of Cherbourg's population died within three weeks in 1919 as a result of Spanish influenza Only 10 people out of a population of 600 were reported to be unaffected by the illness

Only 10 people out of a population of 600 were reported to be unaffected by the illness Elders are working to find the mass burial sites where those killed are buried

At Barambah Government Reserve in Queensland's South Burnett, 590 people contracted Spanish influenza — a deadly virus with similar symptoms to regular flu, in addition to haemorrhaging, bleeding from the eyes and ears, and pneumonia.

Within three weeks, 90 out of the population of 600 would die from Spanish influenza in what would become one of the most significant outbreaks of the pandemic in the world.

A history all but forgotten

A century later, in the place now known as Cherbourg, many are unaware their town had one of the highest mortality rates from the pandemic in the world, but some locals are working to change that.

Wakka Wakka elder Eric Law is working to locate mass burial sites, the final resting place for more than 15 per cent of the population.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Listen Duration: 4 minutes 7 seconds 4 m 7 s Elder Eric Law and historian Matthew Wengert discuss the significance of finding the lost graves ( ABC Wide Bay: Nicole Hegarty ) Download 1.9 MB

"There's always been some debate as to where these people are actually buried and that is why I want to be absolutely sure of the place so that when we do put up a memorial — and we will — people will know where they have been resting for the last hundred years," he said.

"Once we know for sure, it won't be too long before we have a suitable and respectful memorial for these people.

"We didn't know them but they're part of our story of Barambah and Cherbourg. We just need to understand and pay our respects to those people."

Medical records state only 10 people out of the population of 600 were unaffected by the pandemic. ( Supplied: Trove )

For Uncle Eric it's a personal search.

"My dad … was on his way back from World War I and he knew of the Spanish flu over there, and then when he got here he was told about what was happening," Uncle Eric said.

"From our family's perspective, we've all known about it."

Researchers uncover potential grave sites

Elder Eric Law says it's important to pay respects to the victims. ( ABC Wide Bay: Nicole Hegarty )

After multiple false starts, researchers from the State Archives and University of Queensland are working to help find the missing graves of Cherbourg.

The team of researchers from UQ has used ground-penetrating radar to identify two sites believed to be mass graves.

Historian Matthew Wengert said the reasoning behind why Cherbourg fared so poorly remained a mystery.

"I can't explain it. I've asked medical experts, there doesn't seem to be one answer," he said.

"It's probably because people were living in crowded conditions and a lot of the people would have no experience with influenza before so their immune systems weren't educated by experience to less dangerous flu and living in close quarters.

"At Barambah, you had around one in seven people dying in a small town in just a few weeks, so that's something that's completely alien to modern Australia."

Uncle Eric said the second site came as a surprise.

"They were looking to see whether or not there was any different shape underneath, which would indicate there was something there," he said.

"They ended up giving us two sites. We thought there was only one."

One of the sites where the bodies of at least 90 people are possibly buried. ( ABC Wide Bay: Nicole Hegarty )

Outbreak a 'complete disaster' for Cherbourg

Spanish influenza was responsible for between 50 million and 100 million deaths worldwide between 1918 and 1919.

Mr Wengert labelled it a tragedy unlike anywhere else in Australia.

"Young men, young women, who were otherwise in the prime of their lives, their bodies overreacted to the infection and that caused damage to their circulation and organs," he said.

"There's no other disaster of any kind that's comparable.

"All of the survivors would have had lung damage, heart damage, brain damage. Barambah was probably carrying the effect of the influenza for the next 10, 20 years."

Uncle Eric Law says Spanish influenza is an important and tragic part of Cherbourg's history. ( ABC Wide Bay: Nicole Hegarty )

Uncle Eric is hopeful of getting more answers before the end of 2019.

"It's at a stage where people are happy to get stuck in," he said.

"Our councillors have been wonderfully supportive and The Ration Shed have played the part of gathering all the information, expertise to show us where these people are.

"In our culture, we have this connection with the spirits — with those people who have left us — and to get the full benefit out of that, we need to be absolutely sure that that's where they are.

"If we can get as close or spot on where they are, that would make that story a lot easier for people to feel that presence of those people who have been there a hundred years.