The establishment of Woolenook Wood Camp
The Woolenook wood camp was one of three work camps established as part of the Loveday POW and Internment camp complex during the Second World War. Located near Renmark, the camp operated from 1942 to 1945 and involved Japanese internees working as wood cutters.
The Loveday complex evolved into the largest internment camp system in Australia, with work camps established at Katarapko Island, Moorook West and Woolenook. The Woolenook camp had a unique connection with Renmark, as the Renmark Irrigation Trust (RIT) was not only responsible for irrigation and drainage but also served as the local governing authority and electricity provider for much of the district. As wartime labour shortages increased, local industries and organisations sought assistance from interned workers. With many men enlisted or employed in industries supporting the war effort, internees provided an important source of labour for essential activities, including timber cutting and loading.
Japanese internees at Woolenook
The first Japanese internees arrived at Woolenook on 7–8 May 1942, four months after arriving at Loveday. Many had been arrested following Japan’s entry into the war in December 1941, particularly those from Broome, Darwin and Thursday Island, where many worked in the pearling industry. The Woolenook internees were mainly young and physically fit men who were paid one shilling per day to cut and load timber. Their work supported local needs, including supplying firewood for Renmark and surrounding districts. The camp population changed throughout its operation. In 1943, Japanese seamen were reclassified as Prisoners of War and transferred from Woolenook, with other internees later arriving from New South Wales. In 1944, following the closure of the Moorook Wood Camp, additional internees were transferred to Woolenook. The Woolenook Wood Camp operated until May 1945. Its history reflects the complex experiences of wartime internment, the importance of local labour during the war, and the connections that developed between internees and the Renmark Irrigation Trust.
Left: Japanese internees boarding the PS Ulonga at Renmark to travel to Woolenook wood camp Below:: Japanese internees at Woolenook (Source: Australia War Memorial)
The New Moon
Trevor Reed, soon of Captain Bob Reed, outlines the story of how the New Moon came into his family.
‘The New Moon is a wooden boat carved by a Japanese internee at the Woolenook Internment Camp in 1943 or 1944. The model was carved from a two-foot offcut of Oregon timber used to replace the boom of the PS Ulonga. The replacement timber came from the earlier paddle steamer PS Kelvin, which had been salvaged after sinking near Woolenook Bend. Captain Reed was known for his concern for the safety of internees working beneath the lifting boom of the paddle steamer and for treating them with dignity. He also allowed the men to use the galley on the PS Ulonga to warm their rice and make tea, helping to build mutual respect. The New Moon was presented to Captain Bob Reed as a gesture of gratitude for the kindness and respect he showed the Japanese internees.’
The model remained with the Reed family for nearly 70 years before being donated to the Renmark Irrigation Trust by Trevor Reed in 2013.
Further information
In May 2022, as part of the RIT’s contribution to the SA History Trust’s History Festival, RIT staff presented a summary of the role of Woolenook in the history of the Trust. Japanese woodcutters from the Woolenook Internment Camp played a vital keeping Renmark’s lights on and pumps running, as well as supplying electricity to the Loveday internment camp near Barmera.
The presentation can be found here.