Gravestone plaque : Mrs E L P Rohrmann, Molonglo Internment Camp

Rectangular bronze plaque bearing the inscription 'E.L.P. ROHRMANN / 30/11/18' in raised script. The plaque has a raised border, and two hole for attachment. The plaque was originally attached to a white cement cross.

This is the original plaque from the headstone of Emma (sometimes listed as Ellen) Marie Laura Paula Rohrmann. Mrs Rohrmann was born c 1883. She was living in Singapore when the First World War broke out and was interned in Singapore, until an agreement was made for all internees there to be sent to Australia. Two groups of internees from Singapore arrived in Australia in April and May 1915, with a third group arriving less than a year later.

Mrs Rohrmann became one of the few female internees held in Australia and was allocated the number W49. She was first interned at Bourke, NSW. In 1918 Bourke camp was closed and the internees were moved to the newly built camp at Molonglo in the nation's capital.

Mrs Rohrmann became ill with pneumonia, which caused heart failure, and she died on 30 November 1918, aged 35. The only internee to die at Molonglo, she was buried at Queanbeyan Cemetery in New South Wales, in the Church of England section. A concrete cross was placed over her grave, to which was attached this plaque.

There were three other Rohrmanns interned with her - 38 August Rohrmann, W48 M Rohrmann and W140 R H Rohrmann. They were repatriated to Germany on 29 May 1919 on board the Kursk.

In April 1961, Mrs Rohrmann's remains were moved from Queanbeyan to Tatura, Vic, and were reinterred in the German War Grave cemetery there.