Subject: [SEQ-Germans] WWI and Germans Living in Brisbane Maureen Arthur wrote: > > My question is this - would Wilhelm have been sent to some type of camp in WWI just because he was of German birth? . > > And if they were, where did they go, and do any registers survive? Following may be of interest. Di Over 350 'enemy aliens' were interned at the Torrens Island Concentration Camp which opened on 9 October 1914. Internment in Australia was regulated by the War Precautions Act 1914. Internees were mainly of German or Austro-Hungarian background, including some who were naturalised British citizens. Some internees were crew members of enemy nationality who were taken from ships in Australian ports. In South Australia, a relatively high percentage of migrants were of German background, and so the 'enemy alien' concept had a significant effect. Not all were held as internees in camps; some were required to report to local police on a regular basis. Torrens Island Internment Camp '... had by far the worst reputation of all internment camps in the Commonwealth' [Fischer, G. Enemy aliens, p. 194] with primitive living conditions and harsh ill-treatment of prisoners. The third issue of Der Kamerad reported that captured escapees had been flogged. After the findings of a court of enquiry into this treatment of internees was submitted, the Defence Department closed the camp on 16 August 1915. The federal government had also decided to close regional camps that had been set up in the early years of the war. Many prisoners, including South Australian internees, were transferred to Holdsworthy camp near Liverpool in New South Wales. Subjects a.. Torrens Island Internment Camp S Aust b.. World War 1914 1918 Prisoners And Prisons Australian Further reading a.. The German experience of Australia 1833-1938 / Ian Harmstorf (editor), Peter Schwerdtfeger (technical editor). [Bedford Park, S. Aust.] : The Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows, The Flinders University of South Australia, 1988 b.. Fischer, Gerhard. Enemy aliens: internment and the homefront experience in Australia, 1914-1920. St. Lucia, Qld.: University of Queensland Press, 1989 c.. Holmes, Elisa. The attitudes towards South Australians of German descent during World War I. Cabbages and kings: selected essays in history and Australian studies, vol. 22 (1993), pp.3-17 d.. Paech, David O. Persecution, detention and internment of Lutherans (in South Australia) in two world wars : a dark spot in Australia's century of federation. [Klemzig, S. Aust. : David O. Paech], 2001 e.. Insights into South Australian history . Adelaide: Historical Society of South Australia, <1992>- v. 2. South Australia's German history and heritage / [edited by] Ian A. Harmstorf. pp. 7-10. 'When Torrens Island was a concentration camp.' f.. Index to aliens 1914-1918 [microform] / compiled by Helen D. Harris. Forest Hill, Vic.: Harriland Press, 2003] Links a.. German Australia : First World War ; Internment of Germans in Australia during WWI b.. South Australians at war: Prisoners of war c.. Manning Index of South Australian history: World War One: Germans in Australia d.. National Archives of Australia: Fact sheet 171: WW I internee, alien and POW records held in Sydney

Thank you so much to everyone who has provided input. I will research further into the National Archives record to see if it is my Wilhelm. I'd also like to find out more about the conditions that existed in these camps. You've given me some direction now. Thanks again! Maureen. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Di Randell" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, November 09, 2007 12:17 PM Subject: Re: [SEQ-Germans] Torrens Island Internment Camp SA + HoldsworthyNSW > Subject: [SEQ-Germans] WWI and Germans Living in Brisbane > > > Maureen Arthur wrote: >> >> My question is this - would Wilhelm have been sent to some type of camp >> in WWI just because he was of German birth? . >> >> And if they were, where did they go, and do any registers survive? > > Following may be of interest. > > > Di > > Over 350 'enemy aliens' were interned at the Torrens Island Concentration > Camp which opened on 9 October 1914. Internment in Australia was regulated > by the War Precautions Act 1914. Internees were mainly of German or > Austro-Hungarian background, including some who were naturalised British > citizens. Some internees were crew members of enemy nationality who were > taken from ships in Australian ports. In South Australia, a relatively > high percentage of migrants were of German background, and so the 'enemy > alien' concept had a significant effect. Not all were held as internees in > camps; some were required to report to local police on a regular basis. > > Torrens Island Internment Camp '... had by far the worst reputation of all > internment camps in the Commonwealth' [Fischer, G. Enemy aliens, p. 194] > with primitive living conditions and harsh ill-treatment of prisoners. The > third issue of Der Kamerad reported that captured escapees had been > flogged. After the findings of a court of enquiry into this treatment of > internees was submitted, the Defence Department closed the camp on 16 > August 1915. The federal government had also decided to close regional > camps that had been set up in the early years of the war. Many prisoners, > including South Australian internees, were transferred to Holdsworthy camp > near Liverpool in New South Wales. > Subjects > a.. Torrens Island Internment Camp S Aust > b.. World War 1914 1918 Prisoners And Prisons Australian > Further reading > a.. The German experience of Australia 1833-1938 / Ian Harmstorf > (editor), Peter Schwerdtfeger (technical editor). [Bedford Park, S. Aust.] > : The Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows, The Flinders > University of South Australia, 1988 > b.. Fischer, Gerhard. Enemy aliens: internment and the homefront > experience in Australia, 1914-1920. St. Lucia, Qld.: University of > Queensland Press, 1989 > c.. Holmes, Elisa. The attitudes towards South Australians of German > descent during World War I. Cabbages and kings: selected essays in history > and Australian studies, vol. 22 (1993), pp.3-17 > d.. Paech, David O. Persecution, detention and internment of Lutherans > (in South Australia) in two world wars : a dark spot in Australia's > century of federation. [Klemzig, S. Aust. : David O. Paech], 2001 > e.. Insights into South Australian history . Adelaide: Historical Society > of South Australia, <1992>- v. 2. South Australia's German history and > heritage / [edited by] Ian A. Harmstorf. pp. 7-10. 'When Torrens Island > was a concentration camp.' > f.. Index to aliens 1914-1918 [microform] / compiled by Helen D. Harris. > Forest Hill, Vic.: Harriland Press, 2003] > Links > a.. German Australia : First World War ; Internment of Germans in > Australia during WWI > b.. South Australians at war: Prisoners of war > c.. Manning Index of South Australian history: World War One: Germans in > Australia > d.. National Archives of Australia: Fact sheet 171: WW I internee, alien > and POW records held in Sydney > > > > A List for the research for the descendants of the Germans who migrated to > South East Queensland, Australia. > Archives - > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/AUS/AUS-QLD-SE-Germans.html > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' > without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > __________ NOD32 2646 (20071108) Information __________ > > This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. > http://www.eset.com > >