Interned

by Pamela Rushby

Based on true events, Interned is a moving, well-researched and evocative historical fiction novel that highlights an often forgotten moment in Australian history.

It’s 1914. Gretta lives a privileged life in Singapore, the daughter of a businessman; Tilly lives a modest life in Brisbane, the daughter of a baker. When war breaks out and both countries turn on their families for being German, the two girls find themselves taken from their homes, interned at a camp in rural New South Wales. Far away from everything they have ever known, Gretta and Tilly are forced to face prejudice, overcome adversity and to make their own community.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

256 pages, Paperback

Published March 2, 2022

Reviews

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1914. Gretta lives a privileged life in Singapore, the daughter of a businessman; Tilly lives a modest life in Brisbane, the daughter of a baker. When war breaks out and both countries turn on their families for being German, the two girls find themselves taken from their homes, interned at a camp in rural New South Wales. Far away from everything they have ever known, Gretta and Tilly are forced to face prejudice, overcome adversity and to make their own community.
Before the outbreak of WWI,German migrants were held in high esteem for their industriousness and agricultural skills.Despite initial calls for restraint,the 1915 Bryce Report on alleged German atrocities,the sinking of the liner Lusitania by a German U-boat and the growing casualty lists from Gallipoli,all contributed to hardening attitudes against Germans and other former residents of the Central Power countries such as Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria.But Germans and their descendants constituted a major segment of the Australian population.They had to register with the police.The process of internment was selectively widened to embrace Lutheran pastors and other influential leaders of the German community.With hostilities overseas,propaganda and a determination to contribute to the Allied cause resulted in the manufacture of war within Australia itself.Towns and street names of Germanic origin were anglicised.There were camps in Berrima,Bourke,Holsworthy,Trial Bay(NSW); Enoggera,QLD;Langwarrin,VIC;the Molonglo camp at Fyshwick,ACT;Rottnest Island,WA;and Torrens Island,SA etc.The Trial Bay Gaol held imprisoned officers and soldiers of the Imperial German Navy from the Pacific,China and South East Asia warzones.At the beginning of WWI,all German and Central Power ships coming into,or already in Australian ports were seized as 'war prizes.'Sentiments towards German-Australians had worsened so much that people became unemployed or felt unsafe in the community.After the war,most internees were deported to Germany with no choice in the matter.Others chose to leave Australia after feeling mistreated.

[The Bibliognost Bampot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, quick, easy read and aimed perfectly for this age group. Good choice of characters - two families with very different backgrounds who ended up interned in the same place for the same reasons. A good snap shot of how difficult life was. Just a little bit boring, plodding - something just a bit lacking? But tweens will enjoy it and learn something from it.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is on a subject I find interesting. During wars 1 and 2 Australia implemented the policy of internment of nationals of the foreign powers we were at war with, and this book is about, it is about German nationals. But they made the pool wider than that by including people born in Australia of German parents, Germans who had spent all their lives in Australia and even grandchildren of people of German origin. We follow the stories of two young women as teenagers interned in a camp in the hot dry inland Australia. One is the daughter of a man who was in the international shipping industry in Singapore when he was shipped to Australia with his two children. The other is a German baker from a Brisbane inner suburb who is married to an Australian women and has two Australian children. He is shipped to the gaol in the dry and dusty country town, but his wife and children follow him and rent a small house in the town. He can't work so his family has no income, except what he is paid by his fellow inmates for work around the jail. At the end of the war, he is shipped bck to Germany, despite his efforts to try and reman in Australia a reopen his bakery, leaving his wife and family destitute, which was the case of many others as the Prime Minister at the time, Billy Hughes had a policy of making the population presominately British, which led to many cases of unecessary hardship for dependent families. I enjoyed this book. It is easy to read and tells the story exceedingly well. Author Pamela Rushby is to be congratulated for a job well-done.

[abuzade]

It shows how demonisation propaganda works so quickly and badly, destroying life of many forever. SAD.
SO SAD!

[Gretchen Bernet-Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult book to review, not just because of the age of the protagonists Tilly and Gretta, but the fallout from World War I and the internment of anyone in Australia who had German heritage even if they were born in Australia. Families in this category were required to go into a camp (in this case a country town detention centre like Berrima) and wait indefinitely until the overseas war had ended. Months became years, sometimes without families ever seeing their loved ones again. As it turned out, this unfair treatment of innocent people was unwarranted; along came World War II and far greater displacement started up. Tilly’s German father, a baker, is sent to a detention camp and Tilly, her mother and brother soon follow. The family move into a rundown house but the rules state men must stay in the camp. This makes home life difficult to maintain until Tilly meets Gretta, a neighbour who was sent from Singapore to Australia with her family, and they form a friendship. The points-of-view alternate between Tilly and Gretta although most daily occurrences are recounted by Tilly, telling rather than showing her restricted existence. Her mother’s health is declining so Tilly becomes her sole carer. Her horse-mad brother Franz has more freedom and fun which simmers under the surface.

Naturally Tilly must be dissatisfied with the family circumstances but there is no mention of money or food or cold weather or lack of good footwear. I do realise this book has been written for young readers and Pamela Rushby is a well known and well respected author in the educational field, but I found it lacking in description and emotional content. It starts off well then seems to tick boxes. Over the time period there are two sad losses but the closest I came to a poignant moment was when a violin was fashioned from metal due to the scarcity of materials, and a seamstress made a party dress for Gretta’s birthday which lifted spirits. The town and country discrimination and victimisation towards detainees is muted but nevertheless rankles in cruel ways. Slowly over time things alter, events move forward and the government makes changes. Due to the age of the readership, certain historical points are not elaborated and I found parts of the text subdued. Wars seem in endless supply, the human aftermath becomes far greater than the initial devastation. Writing behind the scenes, author Rushby’s historical research shows although the information was not entirely new to me. The ending is poignant and Tilly faces more big changes in her young life.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story about friendship, life in adversity and life as a German foreigner in British Colonies during world war 1. This story is spilt between the perspective of two young girls one of German parents and one with a German father and Australian mother both around 10-11 yrs at the beginning of the story.

This story was very well written. As a Christian Homeschool parent I read this book to see what the content was for this book marked as Junior Fiction from our local library. While this story focuses on the two girls and their family experiences during the War in Australia it is free from the horrors of war.

There are racist terms used such as “huns” used in the story however when used it is as examples of how the main characters and their families were often mistreated by local Australian families.

*********SPOILER ALERT*********

As the war ends many families are repatriated back to Germany. One of the main characters dies of Spanish flu onboard the ship home to Germany. The Australian mother of the other family who, with her children, remained in Australia as her German husband is forcibly repatriated later dies of Spanish flu.

I would highly recommend this title are a worthwhile and educational story about the world during World War 1.

[Fiona Saunders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just WOW. I look at interment camps in Australian history. Yes I knew about them but this story is just brilliant. It really looks into this part of Australian history that is not that widely know (unless you like visiting historical place like I like to visit Trail Bay Goal in NSW). The truth this didn't just happen in WW1 but WW2 with Japanese Australians too. Back to the book Pamela style really sinks you in with easy prose that you can see yourself in the conditions and the places that the character are. The characters are well developed and all unique with their own flaws and issues they must face. I will like to read more of from this author.

[Deb Kingston · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time reading Pamela Rushby who is mainly a children’s author. The story is narrated from a child’s perspective how her family was affected, but also has history of Australian Interment Camps and how the German population lived in and around them during World War 1. It was a good enough read but a simple read.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read by Sam

[paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Australian/German historical fiction novel.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed reading this book but finished rather abruptly. Felt like still half the story to be told. Also rather grim at the end.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for PRC/CBCA
Historical fiction/WWI

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from alternating perspectives, this is lovely story about the experiences of people of German heritage interned in Australia during World War 2.

[Dianne Wolfer]

Great insight into a lesser known part of our WWI history 👍🏼

[Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: Death of a friend from the Spanish Flu, grief and loss, mention of a pandemic, hatred of ethnicities
6/10, after I read Lizzie and Margaret Rose made by the same author I was hoping that I would enjoy this one as well; sadly she disappointed me with her latest book but I'm still waiting for any new books she might write I might enjoy in the future, where do I begin with this. It begins with one main character called Gretta who is German living in Singapore but then it cuts to another main character named Tilly who lived in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia and their lives appear normal at first until World War One starts and Australia declares war on Germany. Suddenly Germans experience hatred including Gretta and Tilly and so they have to move from their respective places to a new place in New South Wales, Australia but honestly while I appreciate the inclusion of certain people being hated I simply couldn't relate or connect to either main character because they weren't fleshed out or developed enough. Gretta and Tilda were distant from each other at first however they grew closer to one another and this spanned most of the war in the book and one character hoped that Germany would win the war but she found out that this wasn't the case and soon they had to depart from each other. To add insult to injury Tilda discovers that Gretta died from the Spanish Flu and that wraps up the book on a low note.

[Annaleise Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, which deals with Australia's policy of interning people of German heritage during WWI. I particularly appreciated the development of the friendship between the two main characters, the compassionate representation of undiagnosed mental illness, and Rushby's non-didactic approach to writing about discrimination, propaganda, and Australia's wartime internment and deportation policies. I recommend this thought-provoking read for mature readers aged 10+.