World War I internee, alien and POW records held in Adelaide

On this page

Internment during World War I

Internees are enemy aliens who are obliged to reside within prescribed ‘camps’ during time of war, generally unable to leave until the termination of the conflict. During World War I internment in Australia was regulated by the War Precautions Act 1914 and its regulations.

6890 people were interned in Australia during the War. They were mainly of German or Austro-Hungarian background, and included some who were naturalised British citizens (including second or third generation Australians some with siblings serving in the forces), crew of enemy nationality taken from ships in Australian ports, as well as Government officials and Lutheran missionaries from New Guinea. A small number of members of the International Workers of the World organisation (IWW) were also interned. After the War many internees were voluntarily repatriated to Europe, with some subsequently returning to Australia.

Many enemy aliens were allowed on ‘parole’ rather than being detained in a camp, and were required to report regularly to local police.

Records held in Adelaide

Wartime internment of enemy aliens was a significant matter in South Australia because of the relatively high number of migrants of German origin residing in the state. Internees were held at a camp established on Torrens Island.

The National Archives office in Adelaide holds a wide range of records dealing with internment during World War I. They include:

  • lists of internees
  • internee identification photographs
  • a register of internees on parole
  • records of the wartime control of enemy property, and
  • case files (except for Torrens Island camp case files, which have not survived) of the Attorney-General’s Department Investigation Branch. These files, which document the investigation and surveillance that preceded internment, often extend into the 1930s.
  • Selected records relating to World War I internment held in Adelaide

Selected records relating to World War I internment held in Adelaide

Investigation Branch, South Australia (CA 905)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Investigation case files 1917–69 D1915
F Braselman, ex-internee repatriated permission to re-enter from South America 1915–22 D1915, SA704
EM Haroldson, ex-internee permission to enter 1915–23 D1915, SA964
Dr EF Setzke, repatriated SS Willochra 1919 re personal property left at Broken Hill 1921–23 D1915, SA638
Register for Prisoner of War on Parole 1916 AP70/2, volume 1
Investigation case files 1938–60 D1918
Deported aliens: lists by name and ship 1914–46 D1918, S149
Correspondence files (aliens) 1917–25 D1921
Invisible ink writing 1918 D1921, 1918/16
Correspondence requiring censorship 1918 D1921, 1918/41
Lutheran pastors, missionaries 1918–25 D1921, 1918/46
Disloyal Germans and others in South Australia 1918–19 D1921, 1918/52
Nominal index cards to investigation case files 1920–60 D1902
Nominal/subject correspondence index to investigation case files 1917–33 D2018

Headquarters, 4th Military District Commonwealth Military Forces records, (CA 3207)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Security classified files 1905–42 D845
Internment and treatment of enemy subjects 1914 D845, 1914/55
Nominal rolls of internees – Torrens Island camp 1914–19 D2286
Index cards to prisoners of war (internees) 1914–19 D2375
Album of identification photographs of enemy aliens (civilian and prisoner of war) interned at Liverpool Camp, NSW during World War I (with index) 1915–21 D3597

Australian Customs Service, South Australia (CA 802)
Title or description of record Date range Series number
Correspondence files 1871–1962 D596
Payments to internees 1915 D596, 1915/3721
Public Trustee re Mr JWA Jung enemy shareholder 1916–18 D596, 1916/5722
Germans entering Australia 1920 D596, 1920/5249

For more information

As internees were sometimes moved between camps located in different states you may find it necessary to consult records held in more than one office of the National Archives. In order to identify records of interest, search the collection. Reference staff can assist you in using RecordSearch.