Indigenous Defence ServicePrint Page 
Location
| Address: | 11 Murphys Road, Wommin Bay Memorial Walk, Kingscliff, 2487 |
|---|---|
| State: | NSW |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -28.234409 Long: 153.565574 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Conflict |
| Sub-Theme: | Multiple |
| Link: | http://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw… |
Dedication
INDIGENOUS DEFENCE SERVICE
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have served in Australia's armed forces since Federation with at least three men serving in the colonial naval and military forces of Victoria and New South Wales before 1901. A small number of indigenous men (10–12) are known to have served during the Boer War in South Africa.
The First World War (1914–18) exempted full-blooded indigenous Australians from general enlistment in the Australian Imperial Force however between 1000–1200 men with proven indigenous heritage were accepted for enlistment with approximately 700 of these being sent overseas. Two female Australian indigenous nurses were also amongst those accepted for overseas service.
During the Second World War Australia raised a Second AIF in which many indigenous men duly enlisted and have been identified in campaigns in the Western Desert, Greece, Crete and Syria. After Japan's entry into the war indigenous service continued in south-east Asian and south-west Pacific theatres along with Malaya, Singapore, Papua and New Guinea, Bouganville and Borneo. It was during the Second World War that other services began accepting recruits of indigenous heritage (RAN and RAAF).
The Second World War saw the acceptance into the military of indigenous women for each of the services and the Australian Women's Land Army which maintained the nation's agricultural production.
Indigenous Australians have served in every conflict since including Peacekeeping Operations and Military Reserves. These include the British Occupation Force Japan, Korea, Malaya, Vietnam (including the Australian Army Training Team and Special Air Services), Iran, Iraq, Timor, L'Este, Afghanistan and Peace Keeping operations all over the world.
In 1980s Defence formed three major formations for regional force surveillance as part of the Army Reserve. These formations comprised largely, even dominantly indigenous Australians (NORFORCE), The Pilbara Regiment and the 51st Battalion (Far North Queensland Regiment). Although lacking the numbers, RAN and RAAF are equally committed to maintaining a proportion of their workforce representative of indigenous numbers in Australian Society
[Illustration of Lieutenant Reg Saunders]
