The Italians in Queensland during World War I

Authors

  • Karen Agutter Flinders University of South Australia

Abstract

The Italian declaration of war on the side of Britain and her allies in May 1915 brought to an end months of uncertainty for Italian immigrants around the world. For Italians in Queensland, however, their role within the war effort would remain confused and confronting. Using information obtained from the 1916 Alien Registration forms, this article establishes the size and nature of the Italian immigrant community in Queensland. It addresses how Italian men of military age were caught between the Italian Consul's demands to repatriate them to Italy to fight and the Australian government's need of their labour for the critical sugar harvest. The role of labour movements in this debate is also considered. Finally, a brief history is given of the Italians who, following the harvest, were repatriated on the infamous troopship SS Medic and were quarantined in Sydney with Spanish Influenza.

Published

2016-02-20

How to Cite

Agutter, K. (2016). The Italians in Queensland during World War I. Spunti E Ricerche, 24, 22–41. Retrieved from https://www.spuntiericerche.com/index.php/spuntiericerche/article/view/558