Dunera Lives: A Visual History

Kurt Rowland's Visual Education: A Quiet Force in Post‐War Art Pedagogy

“…There was an abundance of skilled and educated professionals, many of whom had successful careers before and after the war. Internees set up their own functioning community with currency, libraries, and an unofficial university (Inglis et al 2018). Kurt gave Spanish lessons to a fellow internee in exchange for being taught the ideas of Sigmund Freud (J. Rowland, personal communication, July 2021).…”

“…Rowland's perception of human experience within society was forged in his own struggles which included an unstable early family life, visceral horrors of war, prejudice, and of struggling to succeed despite, at times, being an alien in an unfamiliar land. In the opening of the comprehensive book on the Dunera experience, Dunera Lives A Visual History, Inglis et al (2018) muse on how many in the Australian internment camps were able to find a way not only to tolerate, but function well, under such difficult circumstances. Though Kurt Rowland did not want to be defined by his early experiences, this tenacity was further exemplified in his later life and demanding drive to improve human experience through a new kind of art education.…”

“…This fearful environment led to a round‐up of anyone who might be a possible enemy sympathiser (Inglis et al . 2018, p. 48). In this sweep, thousands fleeing Nazi control were questioned and interned.…”

“…Unfathomably, this ‘human cargo’ (Inglis et al . 2018, p. 513) also included 200 Fascist Italians and 251 German Nazi prisoners of war (Cacciottolo 2010) housed alongside the refugees and internees. After a few days at sea, the Dunera encountered a U‐boat.…”

“…Camp 8 was known jokingly by the Australian guards as the ‘communist’ camp even though there is little note of more than a few documented communists (Inglis et al . 2018, p. 117). Despite his father's ideological political preferences, there is no evidence Rowland held communist views.…”