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

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 National Security Act 1939. 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.

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.

New South Wales

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

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

Tasmania Camp Place Notes 18Brighton

Victoria

Camp Place Notes 1 Tatura 2 Tatura 3 Rushworth 4 Rushworth 5 Myrtleford CTT 6 Graytown POW Camp 250 Italian and German internees13 Murchison 19 Tatura Camp Darley Camp Pell Part of Australian Army campDhurringile Internment and POW Camp (Tatura) Green Mill Temporary Internment Camp (Melbourne) Rowville Internment Camp

Western Australia Camp Place Notes 11Harvey Internment Camp16Marrinup POW CampW20Jarrahdale POW Camp No. 8 Prisoner of War Labour Detachment From No. 13 camp, VictoriaNo. 11 Detention Barracks Fremantle PrisonNorth Dandalup Work CampNortham POW Camp Northcliffe POW CampParkeston Transit and Detention CampRottnest Island POW Hostel Wembley POW CampWoodman Point Internment Camp

References

External links Tatura World War 2 Wartime Camps & Irrigation Museum The Enemy At Home – Germans In World War One Australia (online exhibition) Loveday Project (research project about Japanese civilians interned in Australia) [CC-By-SA]