With the policy of neutrality decided by the government of António Oliveira Salazar, Portugal was officially left out of the second major world conflict. However, this did not prevent the presence of Portuguese in combat scenarios or civilians interned in various countries or foreign territories.

In particular, the annexation of Portuguese Timor by the Japanese military forces, forced the withdrawal of a relatively large number of Portuguese civilians to Australian territory, who would later be interned or housed in various regions and camps, especially by New South Wales. On several voyages, made mainly at night so as to avoid Japanese patrols, in fully loaded ships, the sanitary conditions during transport were not the best, something that caused displeasure in many of the Portuguese families.

Already in Australian ports, the whole process was also somewhat chaotic, especially at the processing stations, where many hundreds of refugees of multiple nationalities were directed. Many separated families, sick people, and even lonely children, all crossed paths and everything was going on while they were waiting for registration and entry permits. With the number of arrivals being so high than expected, Australian authorities were soon forced to look for alternatives to the accommodation that had already been prepared, and so optional and military internment camps, camps, and other types of contributing communities were created, that is, in exchange for "a safe life", the evacuees or internees would also have to contribute in one way or another to the local societies where they were integrated. Many would work in agricultural production, cleaning, or even building and improving infrastructure, in return receiving wages.

However, what seemed to be the beginning of a new and normal life, soon realized that it would not be easy, with several Australian state promises being delayed or even unfulfilled, local farmers refusing offers of work to internees, difficulties of access to education for young people and children and poor life conditions in some of the camps.

Portuguese demonstrations and complaints were made by the hundreds, so much so that the army would be assigned the management of goods and equipment to be provided to the internees, such as tents, clothes, shoes, foodstuffs, tables, chairs, and much more, until July 1943, when Portugal agreed to provide financial support.

Tília Bugalho Godinho's mother and uncles were just a few of the several hundred Portuguese internees and evacuees in Australian territory during the war........