List of World War II prisoner-of-war camps in Australia

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This is a list of prisoner of war camps in Australia during World War II.

During World War II many enemy aliens were interned in Australia under the . Prisoners of war were also sent to Australia from other Allied countries for internment in Australia.

Internment camps were established for three reasons – to prevent residents from assisting Australia's enemies, to appease public opinion and to house overseas internees sent to Australia for the duration of the war. Unlike World War I, the initial aim of internment was to identify and intern those who posed a particular threat to the safety or defence of the country. As the war progressed, however, this policy changed and Japanese residents were interned en masse. In the later years of the war, Germans and Italians were also interned on the basis of nationality, particularly those living in the north of Australia. In all, just over 20 per cent of all Italians resident in Australia were interned.[1]

During World War II, Australia interned about 7000 residents, including more than 1500 British nationals. A further 8000 people were sent to Australia to be interned after being detained overseas by Australia's allies. At its peak in 1942, more than 12,000 people were interned in Australia.[1]

New South Wales[]

Cowra POW Camp, 1 July 1944
Camp Place
6 Hay
7 Hay
8 Hay
9 Oberon
11 Glen Innes
12 Cowra
15 Yanco
Liverpool Prisoners Of War and Internment Camp
Bathurst Internment Camp at Bathurst Civil Gaol
Long Bay Civil Gaol
Long Bay State Reformatory
Orange Temporary Internment Camp
Peat Island Civil Reformatory

Queensland[]

Camp Place
Gaythorne Prisoners of War and Internment Camp
Chinese Camp at Bulimba shipyard, Brisbane for Native Labour Company
Enoggera Temporary Internment and POW Camp
North Ward POW Compound
Stuart Prison, Stuart, Townsville
Thompson's Point POW camp (unsubstantiated)

South Australia[]

Camp Place
17 Sandy Creek Internment and POW Camp
9 Loveday
10 Loveday
14 Loveday
Cook POW Labour Camp No. 3 POW Labour Detachment (actually HQ only for six camps)[2][3]
Gladstone Civil Gaol
Katarapko Wood Camp
Keswick Temporary Internment and Transit Camp
Moorook West Wood Camp
Wandillo, Prisoner of War Hostel
Woolenook Wood Camp

Tasmania[]

Camp Place
18 Brighton

Victoria[]

1942 postmark used at Dhurringile
Camp Place
1 Tatura
2 Tatura
3 Rushworth
4 Rushworth
5 Myrtleford CTT
6 Graytown POW Camp
13 Murchison
19 Tatura
Camp Darley
Camp Pell - Victoria (part of Australian Army Camp)
Dhurringile Internment and POW Camp (Tatura, Victoria)
Green Mill Temporary Internment Camp (Melbourne, Victoria)
Rowville Internment Camp

Western Australia[]

Camp Place
11 Harvey Internment Camp
16 Marrinup POW Camp
No. 11 Detention Barracks Fremantle Prison
Jarrahdale POW Camp
No 8 Prisoner of War Labour Detachment from No 13 camp, Victoria
North Dandalup Work Camp
Northam POW Camp
Northcliffe POW Camp
Parkeston Transit and Detention Camp
Rottnest Island POW Hostel
Wembley POW Camp
Woodman Point Internment Camp

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Wartime internment camps in Australia". Archived from the original on 2017-09-04. Retrieved 2015-10-19. This article incorporates text available under the CC BY 3.0 AU licence.
  2. ^ "Sidings of the Trans Line".
  3. ^ "Footprints of Italian Prisoners of War in Australia".

External links[]

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