Bourke, New South Wales (1915–18)

Bourke in far north-western New South Wales became the wartime residence for German families deported from the Straits Settlements (now Singapore and Malaysia), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Fiji and Hong Kong, as well as some local internees. They were not housed in an enclosed camp as in other locations. Those who could afford it rented small cottages in the town, while others were accommodated in the gaol and later in a disused hotel.
Internees inside the Bourke gaol, 1915
Internees inside the Bourke gaol, 1915
AWM P00595.14

The families could move around the town during the day, but there was little for them to do there. The small number of internees meant that camp community activities did not develop as they did elsewhere.

In 1918, the internees were moved from Bourke to the newly-built camp at Molonglo, outside Canberra, in the then Federal Capital Territory.

Records

The National Archives holds records about the Bourke camp. A selection of these is listed below.
Collection references
ItemThis Department of Defence file includes correspondence with the Swiss Consul and the Swedish Minister about conditions in the Bourke camp in 1918.1918MP367/1, 425/10/299 
ItemThe employment of a matron or nurse to care for interned women and children at Bourke is the subject of this Department of Defence file, 1915–18.1915–18MP367/1, 567/3/1406 
ItemCorrespondence from the German Foreign Office discussing the issue of sunstroke faced by internees at Bourke is found in this Governor-General's file from 1918.1918A11803, 1918/89/852