Rushworths POW Camps

[b]HI, i forwarded to a mag and it never got printed is it contraversial ?.or the truth jayvee.


Sir

thank you for a fine mag,my wife and myself are retired and are detectorists, jim foster’s articles are informative and interesting,we had a good laugh at”gold getaways”



“Rushworth’s wartime prision camps” bought to mind a controversial subject to me. “most of the other camps I’ve mentioned paticulary camp 13 have reverted to private ownership”



We recently a northern nsw town for a get together, we obtained a map and information from the local information centre





The info read”travel to the old upper town,if you look across from the road you should see old graves and diggings etc on private land”





My question is,why bother to put places on tourist brochures and mag articles if they cannot be accessed by the general public?

jayvee wrote:[b]HI, i forwarded to a mag and it never got printed is it contraversial ?.or the truth jayvee.


Sir

thank you for a fine mag,my wife and myself are retired and are detectorists, jim foster’s articles are informative and interesting,we had a good laugh at”gold getaways”



“Rushworth’s wartime prision camps” bought to mind a controversial subject to me. “most of the other camps I’ve mentioned paticulary camp 13 have reverted to private ownership”



We recently a northern nsw town for a get together, we obtained a map and information from the local information centre





The info read”travel to the old upper town,if you look across from the road you should see old graves and diggings etc on private land”





My question is,why bother to put places on tourist brochures and mag articles if they cannot be accessed by the general public?

Hi,
I think you will find that it was printed in the latest edition March 2009, under mail box, page 12
Brett.

[b]thank you brett,that was sent 10 weeks ago,must get that copy. jayvee

Jayvee (John),

as the bloke who wrote the article ('Rushworth's Wartime Camps') I strongly suggest you purchase the latest copy of Australian Gold Gem & Treasure Magazine, go to page 12 ('Mailbox') and read the editor's reply to your letter (as Brett has suggested). Believe me his reply to you says it all very concisely. Of particular relevance was his reference to 'common sense'.

'Oz GG&T' has run many stories over the years involving private land with historical significance to those who pursue gold (both as detectorists and pick and shovel men). Not too long ago the magazine ran an interesting story involving an Australian then residing in France who was able to access a vineyard where he and his detector unearthed a heap of ancient artifacts and coins dating back to Roman times. Could anyone logically suggest that these stories have no significance to us because the land was privately owned? A rhetorical question I know - but if the answer to this is in the affirmative then the metal detecting fraternity (which includes me) is a very narrow minded and insular lot indeed.

To recap on the original nature of the article, John, I have the draft copy on my desk as I type. The main thrust of the story was to highlight the events which brought about the capture of the Axis POWs, the political measures which (unjustly in my opinion) resulted in the internment of thousands of 'civilian enemy nationals' and the impact which the camps had on the towns of Tatura, Rushworth and Murchison with regard to employment of staff etc, provision of goods and services etc.

Incidentally, the Tatura Wartime Camps and Irrigation Museum (you'll find it on the net) has in the past organised tours of the camp sites and reunions of former POW and internees. If you're sufficiently interested in being proactive on this issue you could contact them and see what you come up with.

When I began this post I hadn't intended to do this, but I'll reproduce the editor's reply to you in full for the benefit of other forum members -

'To ignore history simply because everyone can't access it with a metal detector would be irresponsible on the part of the magazine. How about you make contact with the landowner, explain your position and the fact that you don't represent a threat to the environment and offer to go fifty-fifty with him on everything you find. Using a bit of common sense and diplomacy, you just might end up with exclusive access to an otherwise off-limits area. Ed.'


Regards
Mike Wellington (forester01)

[b]Thank you mike for the post all noted and makes sense,i know about pow's believe me,however my main concern was not as a detectorist but as a tourist,please read my letter to the mag again.sorry for the confusion. jayvee

G'day again Jayvee,

thanks for your very reasonable reply, mate. Having read again the Editor's reply in the latest GG&T mag, I think it's possible your original letter to the Ed of GG&T was, in the interests of brevity, not printed in its entirety. No blame should be attached to the magazine for this, incidentally. Cropping letters (and the stuff I write too) is the prerogative of any editor and is invariably done to conserve valuable page space.

Mike W

Thanks mike ,all good i will leave the post there,getting away from the forum subject,and i dont need any further discussion about pow camps.
thanks again yours in common interest, jayvee.