Summary

Passenger list, handwritten by Giuseppe Gonzales, documenting all the Italian crew on the Remo which sailed from Italy to Australia in 1940. The ship berthed at Fremantle a few days before Italy entered the War on 10 June 1940. The ship was seized by the Australian Government as a prize of war on 11 June 1940 and officers and crew were arrested as 'enemy aliens' and taken to internment camps. Crew members were sent to Rottnest Island and the officers to Harvey (Western Australia).

Giuseppe had been interned as an Italian enemy alien on arrival in Australia in 1940. Giuseppe met future wife Bobbie on a ship sailing from Italy to Australia in 1940. Giuseppe was arrested upon arrival and interned as an enemy alien until 1946 when he could finally marry Bobbie in Kew in 1946 - who lost her Australian citizenship as a result.

Refer to Narrative record 16616 Giuseppe Gonzales - Italian Internee World War II 1940 - Collections Online: Article for full story.

Physical Description

Handwritten list

Significance

Statement of Historical Significance:
Enemy alien internment during World War II is a significant, often hidden, history, especially in the context of Australian homefront wartime experiences. This collection provides a starting point for exploring this history further, as well as the impact on families of those interned, including Australian citizens without any birth connections to Axis nations.

More Information