WLL: Experiences of the North Queensland Italian Community during WW2
About this Event
Talk Abstract:
Around 15,000 people were imprisoned in Australian internment camps as ‘enemy aliens’ during World War II under the National Security Act 1939, either as residents (some of whom were naturalised British subjects) or prisoners of war captured overseas. Almost 20%, or 4,855 of them, were Italian migrants, who represented the largest ethnic group interned at the time. While their official Military Service records and other official investigation and appeal folios are publicly available and have been widely studied, the impact of the Act on the families they left behind and their communities remains largely unknown. This presentation draws from recent research conducted in North Queensland, Stanthorpe, the Redlands and Brisbane to share some preliminary findings from meetings with descendants of Italian internees, as part of a wider project aiming to inform the public record. Of particular note are memories of the capture of parents and other family members, of survival, and of women’s and children's work.
Speaker Bios:
Dr Catherine Dewhirst is Senior Lecturer in History in the School of Business, Law, Humanities and Pathways, at the University of Southern Queensland. Her research focuses on migrant communities, women’s and family histories, and Italian-migrant memories. She has co-edited two volumes on Australia’s migrant and minority newspapers (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020, 2021). Her most recent work appears in Captivity and Creativity: The Cultural and Material Production of Italian Prisoners in Allied Hands (1940-1947) (Fordham University Press, 2026).
Dr Claire Kennedy is an adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science at Griffith University, where she previously taught in Italian Studies. Her recent research is on family memories of the WWII internment period and in theatre studies, with her latest publication the co-edited book Staging Violence Against Women and Girls (Bloomsbury, 2023).
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
AUD 0.00 to AUD 10.00
