Australia's Wartime Camps
By Alan Hassell
(c) May 1983
With the outbreak of the Second Word War, a program was swung into operation to attract recruits to fight for the country. As with all wars, people would be killed wounded or taken prisoner.
Having captured and individual any country using the Geneva Convention had to ensure the safety and well being of that person. Official records held in the Australian War Memorial confirm that over 34,000 persons were held in Australian P.O.W. or internment camps between 1937 and 1947.
Each Camp having living quarters in the way of huts, plus kitchens, latrines, showers and first-aid huts. Close by would be the army camp that supervised the safety of the prisoners, not only from themselves, but also from the public.
Plan of compound No.2 at Hay, N.S.W. other camps would be similar
Servicemen from Japan, Italy Germany together with Koreans and Formosan nationals were held captive during the war. Pearl divers were also rounded up from the islands off Darwin and held as internees. Boredom would have been a problem for the prisoners facing long hours within the confines of the compounds.
For this reason some camps had exercise area's set aside for the inmates to use. Here such games as sumo wrestling, baseball and soccer were played with great enthusiasm. To relieve some of the boredom prisoners were invited to work on farms, specially set up near the camps.
For each days work a prisoner would receive eighteen pence and were paid with special money minted exclusively for the camps. The Italians who gave themselves up in there thousands in the deserts were only too eager to participate in the work.
Crops such as Soya beans, cotton, sunflowers, tobacco, peas and beans were grown on many of the camps. Not only was it a success, but also some of the camps produced milk, eggs and bacon, which was either distributed amongst the other camps or was sold to local markets. Owing to the isolation of some of the camps, minimum supervision was required.
Some members of the work parties were known to have fallen asleep under the shade of a tree. When they awoke finding the fields deserted they made their own way back to the camp and had to bang on the door to gain entry. With the hot, harsh country Australia had to offer few were inclined to consider escape.
However several attempts were made, the most famous being the breakout or suicide attempt made by Japanese P.O.W's at Cowra on Saturday 5th August 1944. Life on many of the camps was very harmonious with only minor outbreaks of violence.
Although some 36 years have elapsed since the closure of the camps, many artefacts still wait to be found by the metal detecting enthusiast. With the help of Mr. G.P. McKeowan, Curator of the official records at the Australian War Museum a list of major P.O.W camps has been compiled. Some of these camps have never seen a metal detector as their location was previously unknown until now.
Queensland
Gaythorne camp at Gaythorne had a capacity of 1,800 prisoners I five compounds, three holding 300, one holding 400 and another holding 500. Nationalities were Italian, Japanese, Korean, Formosan and some Germans.
New South Wales
Cowra P.O.W. camp No. 12, situated at Cowra, held some 4,000 P.O.W's in four compounds of 1,000 each. Comprising Italian, Japanese, Korean, Formosan Indonesian and Javanese. Cowra operated from June 1941 until January 1947.
At Hay, compounds 6, 7 and 8-held 1,000 prisoner's I each of the three compounds. The prisoners were German, Italian and Japanese the camp operated fro 1940 till 1946.
Liverpool Internment an P.O.W. camp was used as a staging or transit camp and held 500 inmates of all nationalities and operated from 1939 till 1946
Grange P.O.W. camp situated at Grange, was a small camp of 300 - 400 P.O.W's mainly German and Italian. Grange operated from 1940 - 1946. Yanco, P.O.W camp No. 15 Eight hundred Italians were held here between 1943 and 1945. It is possible some helped local farmers in the area.
Long Bay Gaol, a temporary camp was established here between 1939 and 1941.
Victoria
Dhurringile, situated at Tatura, was a camp initially used for internees between 1939 until 1940, but later it housed 150 German officers and 50 German soldiers. Tatura No.1 P.O.W. camp comprised one thousand German, Austrian and Italian P.O.W's. It operated from 1941 till 1947.
Tatura No.2 P.O.W. camp comprised 1,000 German and Italian prisoners and later became known as No.19 camp Tatura. Rushworth No.4 P.O.W. camp held One thousand family groups, mainly internee's from Europe. (1940 - 1946)
Murchison P.O.W. camp No.13, This was the largest camp in the state holding some 4,000 prisoners in four compounds each accommodating 1,000 men, Italian, German and Japanese stayed here from 1940 - 1947.
Myrtleford P.O.W. camp No.5 held One thousand Italian officers in two compounds between 1942 and 1946.
South Australia
Loveday P.O.W. camp situated at Barmera was the largest camp in South Australia. Loveday, is one camp worthy of inspection, as little is really known about it, apart from its isolation. Two internment camps No.'s 9 and ten were established here, together with Loveday P.O.W. camp. Camp No.10 operated in April, 41 followed closely by No.9, which opened in June, 1941.
Both of these camps held 1,000 Italians. Another camp known as Loveday P.O.W. camp opened for business at Barmera in June 1942. This camp had four compounds each holding 1,000 prisoners of German, Italian and Japanese origin. It is not know if these camps were connected or separated from each other. Locals in the area might be able to shed more light onto the subject.
Sandy Creek Transit camp, was situated at Sandy Creek, a few miles outside Gawler, this camp mainly held Italians during transit. They slept in tents and were guarded by a local garrison. Foundation slabs can still be seen today.
Harvey Camp No.11. Very little is known about this camp except that it held 500 Italian prisoners from 1940 - 1942. It was probably only a temporary camp, and although its location is not known there must be someone who can shed light on this camp. Another top spot for coins if you can find it.
Western Australia
Marrinup P.O.W. camp No.16 held 1200 Germans and Italians between June, 1943 and July 1945. No details of its location are available. Wembley temporary camp held 200 Italians from June 1943 until August, 1943. As with all Western Australian camps no details of its location is available.
Northam, this was possibly the largest camp. Holding 3,600 Italians between 1945 and 1946. This could have been a special camp set up for return to country of origin.
Parkeston, this camp only operated from April, 1942 until November 1942 and held 500 Italians.
Rottnest Island held 500 Italians between January, 1940 and February 1940. This could have been a working party sent for some construction project and they would have slept in tents. Woodman's Point. Apart from the fact that some Japanese (number Unknown) were here between December, 1941 and February, 1942, nothing else is known.
Tasmania Only one camp comprising two compounds, and each holding 300 Italian prisoners existed in Tasmania. It was known as Brighton P.O.W. camp No.18 and operated from February, 1944 till 1945. Of the 26 known camps one must be within a short distance of where you live.
You can expect to find tokens, military artefacts and badges. It was intended to include abandoned Army and Air force bases in this article. Unfortunately a consolidated list of military camps does not exist. There many abandoned air strips dotted all over Australia. Some in north Queenland may be covered in bush and forest now. Who knows what the diligent researcher could find and recover should they happen to stumble on one of these places.
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