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BOOK LAUNCH ON
FORGOTTEN LOCAL HISTORY
As a senior secondary teacher for 31 years, Michael
Wohltmann dedicated much of his career to the fields of
Modern European History,Australian History and International
and Australian Politics.
From this was borne his interest in a little known, but significant
part of local history – the internment of “enemy German
aliens” in a camp on Torrens Island from 1914 -1924.
How could it be that German-Australians, who were positively
viewed as zealous, hard working and model citizens prior to the
Great War, by May 1915, were viewed as outcasts within their
own country?
450 people were placed in this camp when the Great War
broke out and it has been reported that Torrens Island
Concentration Camp was the worst of all internment camps.
“I have been interested in Torrens Island Concentration Camp
since the eighties,” Mr Wohltmann said.
“What interested me most is why some historical events in our
past are not recognised, remembered, conveniently forgotten or
even erased from our collective memory.”
He is also interested in how internment impacted on the
German-Australian community, both during the Great War and
after the war.
A Future Unlived:A history of
the internment of German Enemy
Aliens on Torrens Island in South
Australia during 1914-1924 is an
indepth account of what went on.
Mr Wohltmann launched his book
to a sold-out crowd at the Port
Adelaide Library in October.
GALLIPOLI RE-ENACTMENT
GETS LOCAL FILMMAKER A
NATIONAL NOD
When local filmmaker Alison Rogers was approached to create
a re-enactment of the landing at Gallipoli for last year’s 100th
anniversary, she was determined to overcome a range of
challenges and do justice to the incredibly important
war-time story.
The Port Adelaide and Semaphore RSL spear-headed the
project with an extraordinarily tight budget and requested that
the re-enactment happen on Semaphore Beach.
Her Gallipoli scene was set in the water at Semaphore, with
soldiers heading towards shore in wooden boats, expressing
their fears and experiences of the landing.The end result is a
poignant and emotive account of that day.
The film was accepted into the Veteran’s Film Festival – held at
the AustralianWar Memorial in Canberra on the 14th and 15th
of October 2016.
Alison said, "It was a lovely surprise to find that the film had
been accepted into the film festival.There are so many high
calibre films playing. I'm really proud of what we achieved with
the Semaphore and Port Adelaide RSL and the students at
Alberton Primary School as well as the volunteers who acted in
the film. It was a community effort."
"It's a real honour that 'ANZAC Letters' was screened at the
AustralianWar Memorial as part of the Veterans Film Festival,
it's such an incredible venue."
The City of Port Adelaide Enfield also congratulates Alison for
being nominated as a finalist in theWinnovationSA Awards
Women in Innovation SA. Her business, Living Stories is based
in Port Adelaide. Find out more about the Gallipoli project at
Alison Rogers
Largs Bay Sailing Club