Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that photographs in this article contain images of people who have died.
2019 is the International year of Indigenous Languages and, in honour of this, the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library has created an ANZAC day display that focuses on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Defence Force.
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have served in every conflict and commitment involving Australian defence contingents since before Federation. Little is known about how many Indigenous Australian people have served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). A small number of Indigenous Australian men are now known to have served during the Boer War in South Africa.
Over 1000 Indigenous Australian people fought in the First World War. The Australian War Memorial has identified some 50 Australian Aboriginal men believed to have served on Gallipoli.
In proportion to population, no community in Australia contributed more to the Second World War effort than the people of the Torres Strait Islands. However, they never received the same rates of pay or conditions as non-Indigenous soldiers.
The ANZAC display, (near the Client Services desk) shows some photographs of defence personnel who served at different times. One of these is Oodgeroo Noonuccal (previously known as Kathleen Walker), born in 1920, who joined the Australian Women’s Army Service in 1942. Her father belonged to the Noonuccal people, the traditional inhabitants of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
During the 1960s, at the same time as developing her reputation as a poet, Oodgeroo Noonuccal became engaged in political activism in support of Australian Aboriginal peoples rights and social justice. One of the organisations she worked for were instrumental in the agitation that led to voting rights and citizenship for Indigenous Australian people.
In 1970 Oodgeroo was appointed a Member of the British Empire for her services to Indigenous Australian people, but returned her award in 1988 as a protest against the bicentennial celebrations marking the arrival of the first convict ships in Australia. Oodgeroo Noonuccal authored many poems and books before her death in 1993.
Bibliography
Australian War Memorial n.d., Kath Walker, Australian War Memorial, viewed 23 April 2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/memorial-boxes/3/online-resources/walker
Australian Poetry Library n.d., Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Australian Poetry Library, viewed 23 April 2019, https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/noonuccal-oodgeroo
Australian War Memorial n.d., Indigenous Defence Service, Australian War Memorial, viewed 23 April 2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/indigenous
2019 is the International year of Indigenous Languages and, in honour of this, the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library has created an ANZAC day display that focuses on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Defence Force.
Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have served in every conflict and commitment involving Australian defence contingents since before Federation. Little is known about how many Indigenous Australian people have served in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). A small number of Indigenous Australian men are now known to have served during the Boer War in South Africa.
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| ANZAC day display |
In proportion to population, no community in Australia contributed more to the Second World War effort than the people of the Torres Strait Islands. However, they never received the same rates of pay or conditions as non-Indigenous soldiers.
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| Oodgeroo Noonuccal, in uniform, 1942. Australian War Memorial. |
The ANZAC display, (near the Client Services desk) shows some photographs of defence personnel who served at different times. One of these is Oodgeroo Noonuccal (previously known as Kathleen Walker), born in 1920, who joined the Australian Women’s Army Service in 1942. Her father belonged to the Noonuccal people, the traditional inhabitants of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
During the 1960s, at the same time as developing her reputation as a poet, Oodgeroo Noonuccal became engaged in political activism in support of Australian Aboriginal peoples rights and social justice. One of the organisations she worked for were instrumental in the agitation that led to voting rights and citizenship for Indigenous Australian people.
In 1970 Oodgeroo was appointed a Member of the British Empire for her services to Indigenous Australian people, but returned her award in 1988 as a protest against the bicentennial celebrations marking the arrival of the first convict ships in Australia. Oodgeroo Noonuccal authored many poems and books before her death in 1993.
Bibliography
Australian War Memorial n.d., Kath Walker, Australian War Memorial, viewed 23 April 2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/learn/memorial-boxes/3/online-resources/walker
Australian Poetry Library n.d., Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Australian Poetry Library, viewed 23 April 2019, https://www.poetrylibrary.edu.au/poets/noonuccal-oodgeroo
Australian War Memorial n.d., Indigenous Defence Service, Australian War Memorial, viewed 23 April 2019, https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/indigenous
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