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.^[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
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

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
	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
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

¹

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. Wartime internment camps in Australia

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)
• Beverley Donald (2014). "Liverpool Internment Camp during World War II". Dictionary of Sydney. Retrieved 28 September 2015. [CC-By-SA]