This item was used on P.C. Toby Nixon and Grace Nixon's farm, "Rolling Downs" at Bete Bolong. During WW11 the farm grew carrots, red beet, cabbages, beans and maize. Because of labour shortages the government built a Prisoner of War Camp on Russell's Hill. The manager, Dick Northrope, used three Italian prisoners to frill ring small trees and shrubs between crop harvesting. The introduction of ‘frill ringing’ and poisoning with arsenical tree killers in the 1940's and 1950's helped reduce the amount of labour required and trees on more country were treated. This enabled the hill country at Bete Bolong to become more productive. The dead trees and shrubs were later cleared by Erle Broome's D7 caterpillar bulldozer. This was the first big area of 230 acres to be cleared in the Orbost district. Soon after entering World War 11 Australia was asked by Britain to accept and guard large numbers of 'enemy aliens' and prisoners of war. The British government felt that it could not afford to feed large numbers of prisoners and it was believed that once in Australia the internees would have no chance of escape. Eager to show solidarity with Britain's cause, Australia readily agreed and decided to place the prisoners in a number of different camps scattered around the country and guard them with reservists and soldiers too unfit to serve overseas. There was an internment camp at Bete Bolong, Orbost. This item is an example of an item used by the Italian P.O.W.'s residing there. It is also an example of an agricultural tool not commonly used today.A galvanized iron watering can which has been used to hold poison for ring barking trees (possibly arsenic). It has a narrow spout. There is a handle at the back and a folding handle on the top. The top is conical with an opening for a cork. agriculture prisoner-of-war-camp tree-removal land-clearing

For security reasons, tokens were used in Australian WW11 Internment Camps. They were introduced in 19433 to replace the paper canteen coupons. This token was used at the internment camp at Bete Bolong just outside Orbost during WW11. This camp was established in 1943 and was there until 1946. The internees had been transferred from the camp at Murchison East to provide farm labour. The coin was given to Lindsay Thomson when he was a student.This token was used at the Bete Bolong POW camp from 1943-1945. This camp housed Italian POWs, some of whom remained/returned after the war to settle in Orbost.An internment camp coin. This is a one penny coin token with a hole in the centre. It is made of brass.ONE PENNY INTERNMENT CAMPStoken ww11 bete-bolong internment-camp

Else Oertel was an internee in Camp 3A from 1940-1945. Else (a German) was interned in the same compound as many Italians. Her Italian neighbours, Mr & Mrs Manlio & Henrietta Pecchioni presented this prayer book to her in memory of their internment together. This & other items were donated by her daughter, Else-Lore.Prayer book in Italian language. Book with black cover. Red writing on front cover: "L'Amico del Prigioniero". 486 pages.Inside front cover: C/O of D. Mazzieri Via Vittorio Emanuele 42 Parma Italia|Frontispage: To my Friend with my love. Eta(?) Pecchioni.|Frontispage, again: Inscription in Italian, believed to read "To our dear, kind Friend & companion of misadventure", M. Pecchioni, (internment number) 25234, Tatura 26.7.43tatura, ww2, italian language, camp 3, internment, internee camps, prayer book, books, religion

Photos taken by John Weppner, April 2001.Italian Osario internal photositalian osario, italian internees, italian prisoners of war, photograph, people

Newspaper article of 7 photographs with captions entitled A Prisoner of War Camp. 1 page of a 4 page spread from The Leader newspaper on September 29 1943 with 5 photographs of Italian POW's and 2 photographs of Army administration staff. Also 4 copies of some of those photographs on coreflue and 2 not on coreflue.italian pow's, murchison camp, camp 13, italian internees, the leader, army administration staff, carpenters shop in murchison camp, blacksmith shop in murchison camp

Camp 13, Murchison. Property owned by Jim Finnegan. German, Italian, Japanese prisoners of war held between 1941 - 1946. Shows the remains of what is left of the goal used by Camp 13 Murchison during WW2.Camp 13, Camp Road, Murchison. Camp 13 goal. Solid brick building showing individual cells, roofless, tree right mid-distrance. murchison victoria, goal, prison cells, pow, camp internees, jim finnegan

Former internees and families of Camp 13. 2 couples, Mr and Mrs Roddy Davies and Dr and Mrs Trucco, of Edinburgh Scotland, on left. Mr Trucco was Lieutenant Riccardo Trucco, Italian POW camp 13, who was the dentist at that camp. Colour photograph of 2 couples standing in front of the Museum wall with part of the Museum sign to the left of the photograph.roddy davies, dr trucco, lieutenant riccardo trucco, italian pow's, camp 13, riccardo trucco, lieutenant trucco, camp 13 dentist, ww2 internment camp dentist

Internees from Palestine and Singapore formed a choir in Camp 3. Several other size prints in file.Black and white photograph, on foam backing. Photograph depicts Italian men and women in front of a hut in camp 3.palestine internees, singapore internees, internment camp choir, camp 3 choir

A group of Italian from Palestine who were internees in Camp 3 during WW2.Sepia photograph of a group of Italians from Palestine outside one of the barrack huts. internment camp 3, italian internees camp 3, italians from palestine

John and Val revisiting the site where they were internees in Camp 3 A during WW2.Colour photograph of a John and Val Fortuna sitting on the remains of a structure at Camp 3 in 1995internment camp 3, italian internees camp 3, john fortuna, val fortuna

John and Val revisiting the site where they were internees in Camp 3 A during WW2.Colour photograph of a Con Mafalda, John and Val Fortuna sitting on the remains of a structure at Camp 3 in 1995.internment camp 3, italian internees camp 3, john fortuna, val fortuna

A group of Italian men, women and children near the barracks in Camp 3. Photograph taken by Private Herbert Cubbin.Black and white photograph on foam backing. Depicts a group of men, women and children with a hut side to the left and other huts in the background. italian internees, camp 3 italian internees