LG Hoey, a journalist wrote a series of informative articles about the Italian prisoners of war in Western Australia. On 12 January 1947, he wrote: Anthony in Adversity and included the photo below of one Italian eating dinner with two little girls.

1947 ‘The Burgundy Parade’, Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 – 1954), 12 January, p. 10. (SUPPLEMENT TO THE SUNDAY TIMES), viewed 05 Jun 2020, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59470264

Anthony in Adversity captures the essence of this history providing stories of Italians and their farm experiences. Click on the link to read about some of these men:

• the artist who was grief stricken as his hands became coarse and rough with farm work;
• the hairdresser whose farm work was disrupted because the women of the district become his customers;
• the tailor who made a suit for his farmer and yet the farmer still complained;
• the farmer who was going to return his POWs until he found out one was a chef and one a dressmaker;
• the Italian who was left in charge of the farm when the farmer went on holidays and disasters struck.

And then there is the story about Anthony: Antonio [Tony] was obsessed with washing, or so his boss said, and on many occasions the farmer had threatened to give Tony the “sack” [terminate his employment].

When the journalist asked Tony about his capture, Tony replied, “It was in Abyssinia.  One day I felt very happy, so I went to the river and do some washing. I wash a little, then a voice say, ‘come’.  I look around and 2 very big Indiani there with a knife.  I say, ‘I come’, and I come.”

LG Hoey capably sums up this history: when Australian farmers and Italian prisoners of war were thrown together into new and strange situations and learnt to adapt.

NB The Burgundy Parade is in reference to the burgundy coloured uniforms that the Italian prisoners of war were given to wear in Australia.  The official colour was magenta but these red uniforms were loathed by the Italians for obvious reasons.