I wanted to again share these two photographs taken inside the internment camp in 1942. I’m hoping to identify any of the other men who are pictured in the photographs, so if you do recognise them or know someone who might, I’d very much like to hear from you for them to be included in the museum display and booklet by the Millmerran Historical Society.
The first photograph is from when the internees undertook forestry work in the state forest and Annibale (Joe) is standing to the far right.
The second is of some down time in the internment camp (Joe sitting front centre). Considering many men came to the camp with one suitcase of all they owned, it was fortunate a few happened to have musical instruments as the occasional singalong or playing cards was all they had. If anyone recognises any of the other men in these photographs or if you have information or other photographs regarding the internment camp at Western Creek, I would very much like to hear from you. Much appreciated! Zoe x
Work is progressing by the Millmerran Historical Society to put together a booklet, museum display and a stone plaque to memorialise the site of the Western Creek internment camp. As it comes together, I wanted to share with you two other photographs I have that were taken inside the internment camp in 1942.
Seeing these photographs, you may understand my frustration when time and again, I was told by various authorities that the internment camp at Western Creek never existed.
When I wrote about the secret internment camp at Western Creek in Joe’s Fruit Shop and Milk Bar, I thought that was the end of it. It took several years and almost a detective hunt to put together the information and I met many brick walls from authorities. Some refused to believe the camp that detained hundreds of innocent men during WW2 even existed, others conceded that records for such camps were often scant and, in the years afterward, destroyed. Or not kept at all. (These camps being relatively secret and hidden out in Queensland’s west in forest or bushland when official internment camps at places like Enoggera were full.)
To me, it’s both remiss and insensitive that internees in Australia weren’t given some type of official apology like those in other countries were and, of course, for most it is too late now to hear one. Nonno Anni never bore any bitterness or ill will for his internment, he accepted it with grace as a factor of wartime, but I hope remembering what happened in this way gives back a little of what was lost.
Italian internees at the ‘secret’ Western Creek internment camp in 1942. My grandfather, Annibale (far right, standing) was 18 years old and working as a farmhand at Applethorpe when he was interned.
