The story of the 'Dunera Boys' is an intrinsic part of the history of Australia in the Second World War and in its aftermath. The injustice these 2000 men suffered through British internment in camps at Hay, Tatura and Orange is well known. Less familiar is the tale of what happened to them afterwards. This book tells that story, in two volumes, one in images, and one in life stories. The images constitute a narrative all of their own. The beauty and power of these traces of the lives of these internees speak for themselves. Once familiar with the images in the first volume, the reader will be able to embrace more fully the profiles in volume two. These are stories of struggle, sadness, transcendence, and creativity that describe the lives of these men and of the society in which they lived, first as prisoners and then as free men. A contribution to the history of Australia, to the history of migrants and migration, and to the history of human rights, these two volumes put in the public domain a story whose full dimensions and complexity have never been described.
Carol Bunyan studied history at the Australian National University, and later was a public servant. She was born in Hay; this link led to her interest in researching the Dunera story. Her association with Ken Inglis began when they met at a Dunera anniversary function in 2011.
Ken Inglis (1929-2017) was an Adjunct Professor at Monash University, and Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University. He was one of Australia's most admired and warmly regarded historians. Volume 2 of Dunera Lives concludes the path-breaking project begun by Ken. It is a testimony to the enduring legacy of his work.
Seumas Spark is an Adjunct Fellow in History at Monash University. He is a co-author of Dunera Lives: Profiles and Dunera Lives: A Visual History and co-editor of 'I Wonder': The Life and Work of Ken Inglis.
Jay Winter is Charles J. Stille Professor of History Emeritus at Yale University, and Honorary Professor at the Australian National University. He is a historian of the First World War.
"When scholars of such rigorous and refined erudition engage with a topic of such critical importance it is a cause for celebration, as are the lives themselves, painstakingly recorded so movingly herein. And all of it comes into the world not a moment too soon." -- Elliot Perlman