Barcs, a correspondent for a firm of Hungarian newspapers, had just been expelled from Mussolini’s Italy in 1938 when he decided to come to Australia.  He arrived with his wife and eight letters from various European newspapers expressing mild interest in Australian life.   These sources of income disappeared as war engulfed Europe, and Barcs was on his own.  He immediately began contributing to the Sydney Daily Telegraph and was accepted as a member of the Australian Journalists’ Association. He was an unusual figure in Australian journalism at that time for his university education, extensive background as a foreign correspondent and ability to speak five languages. He worked as a freelance journalist for Australian and overseas newspapers. Interned as an enemy alien in late 1941, he was called up for full-time duty in the Citizen Military Forces on 27 July, he served with the 3rd Employment Company and was asked to join the inaugural committee of the Association of Refugees (Association of New Citizens). Barcs was naturalised in 1946. It seemed that he certainly became naturalised in Australian humour: the sections of these memoirs are entitled: Nobody Owes You A Living; His Majesty’s Most Loyal Internee and The Backyard of Mars. He died in 1990.