Stone carving of a Nurse : K Winkler, internee Tatura

Carving of a nurse into a piece of stone, mounted on a wooden base. The carving has been broken. Two pieces remain, the others are missing. The larger piece is on the wooden base. The carving has been painted over with white paint, with the cape in red and uniform dress in grey. Some trees and huts have been drawn in graphite pencil in the background as well as a flag bearing a red Geneva cross. The name 'Kurt WiNKLER' and date 'NOV 1940' have been carved into the nurse's cape. Part of a word 'TURA' is carved behind the nurse's veil.The smaller piece of stone shows the top of the nurse's head. Above it is carved 'SOUVENIR INT. CAMP...'. When the pieces are placed together, the carved text reads: 'SOUVENIR INT. CAMP...TURA'. The back of the carving has a date written in pencil. It reads either '11.11.40' or '11.10.40'.

Carving associated with the internment of artist Kurt Winkler at Tatura. The carving is of an Australian Army nurse, who may have been stationed at or near Tatura. It has been made from a fine sandstone and has been over painted, probably with poster paint. The words carved above the nurse's head read: 'SOUVENIR INT. CAMP...'. Following on from this is part of a word, '...TURA', carved on the larger piece. The full carved phrase should read 'SOUVENIR INT. CAMP TATURA'. As the apparent threat of invasion grew Australians were gripped by a panic about the potential for the tens of thousands of foreign nationals resident in Australia to become saboteurs or spies. As early as 1939 this fear had led to the introduction of National Security (Aliens Control) Regulations. Aliens were required to register and their travel was restricted. Germans or Australians born in Germany were considered enemy aliens and had to obtain permission to travel or change residents from the authorities in their local police district. Some were interned in Australian camps. From June 1940 German internees were joined by Italians and, in December 1941, by Japanese Australians.

In September 1942 internment of enemy aliens reached its peak, with almost 7,000 people behind barbed wire in 18 camps around southern Australia. Two of these camps, Tatura Camp 1 and Camp 2, were about a kilometre apart. The Tatura Internment camps were the first purpose built internment camps in Australia in the Second World War. Camp 1 was opened in 1940 and housed German and Italian internees. Camp 2 was opened in September 1940. At different times it housed German Jewish internees, Italian prisoners of war and German officers.

The creator of this carving was internee number 35179 (44003) Kurt Winkler, (there were two Kurt Winklers who were interned at Tatura, however the other, Kurt Victoria Winkler, had been transferred from Tatura at the time this carving was made). Kurt Winkler was born on 26 February 1902. Originally an artist from Gransee, Germany, he arrived in Australia from England, where he had moved as a refugee, aboard the SS Dunera on 3 September 1940. He had initially left England aboard the Arandora Star, but it was torpedoed. Winkler lost the possessions he was taking with him, but was able to make it to a lifeboat.

Upon his arrival in Australia he was initially interned at Tatura, but was later transferred to the Loveday Camp in January 1942 for nearly four months, before being transferred to Tatura Camp 2, where he remained until the end of the war in Europe. During his first period at Tatura he showed his drawings to the guards. They provided him with flat sandstone pieces and photographs so he could carve and paint souvenirs for them. Creating them allowed him to earn money to buy items at the camp canteen. He also earned money through fruit and vegetable picking at a nearby farm. In addition one hut in the camp was set aside for art classes and lectures. Winkler was allowed to build an aviary to keep native birds and to create a rockery.

While in the camp he received news that his London studio - full of the artworks and sculptures he had to leave behind, many unfinished, had been destroyed in a German bombing raid. Winkler joined the Civilian Aliens Corps and was released from the internment camp and issued with an Australian identification card with the suggestion that he could take up naturalisation if he stayed in Australia. He lived in a tent near the Murray River cutting wood, before being transferred to Melbourne to work at Toorak railway station. He was in Melbourne when the war ended. After the war the Australian Government offered refugees who wished to remain in Australia the opportunity to become citizens. Kurt Winkler took up the offer and became an Australian citizen.