Loveday Internment Camp Display

The Loveday Internment Camp Display is housed in the Barmera Visitor Information Centre.

Come and read the history of this camp. Set up in 1941 it was one of the largest in Australia. It covered approximately 180 hectares of cultivated land and held 5380 internees and POWs at its peak and over 1500 AMF personnel. Loveday was selected as a suitable site because it was piped for irrigation; it was near a highway linking major cities; electricity and telephone communications were available; a train service from Adelaide ran near the camp and it was sufficiently far enough inland away from the seaboard. A very important part of Barmera’s history.

What was an Internment Camp?

An internment camp housed international residents who they thought were a threat to Australia during the war. Such as Japanese, Chinese, Germans and Italians. They were rounded up and taken to internment camps for the duration of the war.

Established

The internment camp was established in 1941. The site was chosen as there were pipes for irrigation, it was near a highway that was linked to major cities with electricity and telephones, a train service was also available from Adelaide which was very close and was far enough inland away from the seaboard.

Area

The internment camp was approximately 440 acres and four camps were incorporated.

Escapes

Only one internee escaped through the perimeter fence, nine escaped from working parties outside the compound. There was also a tunnel dug by some Germans that was discovered before it was fully completed. Jimmy James the famous black tracker was used to recover escapees.

Closure

The Loveday Internment Camps were closed in 1946. The campsites were divided into small privately owned properties. Some of the buildings were retained by the Government to be dismantled and used as sheds on new soldier settlement properties.