Interview with Francesca Meranda (When the war came to Australia).

Mrs Francesca Meranda was a young girl of Italian parentage who was interned with her family as an enemy alien during the war. The family lived in Tully, North Queensland and her father was interned in January 1942, she and her mother in October 1942. They were taken first to Gaythorne in Brisbane, then onto Cowra, NSW and then to Tutura, a family camp, in Victoria. She describes the organisation of the camp, the range of people interned, her and her family's feelings and reactions to being interned, and her friend's reactions. The accommodation and activities which made up camp life are described: excercise, tennis, gardening, office administration, the canteen, craft workshops. Relations between camp inmates are mentioned, the family camp being more placid than the men's camps. Entertainment is discussed, and the occasional picnic is described. Mrs Meranda describes the inmates' feelings of being held prisoner in their own country, feelings that it was unjust, although now she has more empathy with the wartime authorities. After the war the family had a delicatessan in King's Cross Sydney, as her parents were not allowed to return to Queensland. Mrs Meranda adds that after the war many people anglicised their names and could never speak of their internment experiences. She also describes Christmas in the camp and the special camp currency they used.