The effects of the First World War on Australia's German-speakers

The population of Australia in 1911 was 4,455,005. In Australia there were about 100,000 Germans in 1914. The First World War was a very difficult time for German-Australians. Before the War they were greatly respected. Between 1839 and 1914 German-Australians made a major contribution to Australia, particularly in South Australia (in 1900 almost 10% of the population of S.A. were German-Australians).

Then Germany was the enemy in the War, and with the anti-German hysteria many British Australians forgot this large contribution, and believed that the Germans in Australia fully supported the German Kaiser.

German-Australians were proud of their heritage and culture but politically they were completely for Australia. Most British Australians could not make this distinction. Many German Australians were in the Australian Army and fought and died for Australia. General John Monash was Australia's most famous commander in the War, and he was the son of German-Jewish immigrants.

General John Monash

An official proclamation of August 10, 1914 required all German citizens to register their domiciles (место жительства) at the nearest police station and to notify authorities of any change of address.

During World War I the Australian Government established internment camps (лагеря для интернированных) across the country. These camps accommodated men, women and children classed as 'enemy aliens' and considered a threat to Australia's security during wartime.

Some German Australians were interned (интернировать – ограничивать свободу гражданским лицам в период войны) whose families had lived in Australia for three generations. Employment became difficult for German-Australians, and as a result some went into internment camps voluntarily.

During the First World War 6,890 Germans were interned, of whom 4,500 were Australian residents before 1914; the rest were sailors from German navy ships or merchant ships who were arrested while in Australian ports when the war broke out, or German citizens living in British territories in South-East Asia and transported to Australia at the request of the British Government.

Some British Australians no longer wanted to work together with "Germans". The mayor of Rainbow in Victoria's Mallee region had to resign (уйти в отставку) because he was German Australian. This happened to mayors elsewhere also.

German schools had to close. The German language was forbidden in government schools. The Premier of South Australia said that the Education Department must not employ anyone of German background or who had a German name. Most people had a negative attitude towards the German language. The Education Minister in New South Wales, Arthur Griffith, said on the 29th June 1915 in the NSW parliament:

"I might remark that we are at war with the German nation; we are not at war with German literature."

In South Australia all 49 Lutheran schools were closed in 1917. After the winter break many of these were re-opened as state schools in the same buildings with new teachers. This sudden change was traumatic for the youngest children particularly, as they couldn't understand why the Government would want to do it. From then on, the students had no more German and Religion lessons.

Many Australians believed all propaganda lies about German Australia. Some German Australians were put into internment camps simply because an Australian (perhaps even a business rival - конкурент) had said that the German Australian had said something negative about England, even if he hadn't said it.

The nationalist fervour (пыл, страсть) of the time helped to increase the sales of Australian lager beer, as fewer imported German beers were sold, which had enjoyed a good reputation up until then. The Australian Brewer’s Journal wrote:

“The Teutonic brands which have been exported here by the enemy are taboo. Our lagers are equal if not better than their fancy brands.”