Queen Mary internees more into focus
In future, the Dunera Association will be known as “The Dunera and Queen Mary Association” to honor the memory of the Jews, Nazi opponents and Italian Internees who were deported to Australia by the British in 1940. The name change was decided at the annual general meeting at the end of November. The decision is the result of a lengthy discussion. The aim was to involve the internees of the Queen Mary more closely in the work of the association, who had previously seemed to be neglected in the association’s work.
Most of the up to almost 300 internees were refugees who had made it to Singapore from Germany, Austria and Italy. Some, especially Italians, had already been living there for some time. They reached Australia under guard on board the Queen Mary on September 25, 1940 – shortly after the arrival of the Dunera. British authorities in Singapore had persuaded them to take part by promising them a life of freedom. In Australia, however, they were not allowed to remain at large, but were imprisoned in the Tatura 3 camp. This group of internees included families with small children and several men over 70 years old.
Dunera.de has already published biographies of Queen Mary internees Franz Lebrecht and Leon Gottlieb. A background article on the Queen Mary internees is planned.

Almost 300 internees were brought on board the Queen Mary in the port of Singapore, which sailed on September 18, 1940. Photo: Alamy No. 2HX5D64.

Seumas Spark was re-elected president.
Also elected at the meeting were the Board of Directors with Seumas Spark (President), Ed Lippmann (Vice President), Geoff Winter (Treasurer), Simon Chodziesner (Assistant Treasurer), Kate Garrett (Secretary) and Ron Reichwald (Ex-officio) as well as a committee of ten.
At the beginning of her work is the implementation of the renaming. Among other things, a new logo and letterhead are needed. The web address and Facebook page also need to be changed.