Indigenous Stories
The Memorial is honoured to be able to share the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
From massacres to medals – a story of redemption and recognition
The painted triptych shares the history of the Gija people’s experience of conflict in the East Kimberly region over the past hundred years.
Service as Citizenship
Current Memorial research estimates that approximately 1,200 Indigenous Australian men attempted to enlist in the First World War.
Honouring Private Miller Mack
Miller Mack was one of 21 Ngarrindjeri men from the Point McLeay Mission (now known as Raukkan) and the surrounding region to enlist for service in the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War.
The curious case of John Brenell: The only known Jewish Aboriginal Australian First World War soldier?
There is only one identified Aboriginal Australian soldier buried among the hundreds of Commonwealth First World War graves at Outtersteene Communal Cemetery Extension.
'He always said that the Bible in his pocket was the thing that saved him'
When Alfred Dow was hit by shrapnel during the Siege of Tobruk, a small pocket-sized copy of the New Testament saved his life. He was one of more than 50 “Black Rats of Tobruk” and one of more than 2,000 Indigenous Australians who served during the Second World War.
'They're not forgotten anymore'
Stephen Mullawalla Dodd featured in some of Australia’s most iconic films and television shows, but he put his career on hold to play a little known role in the Korean War.
'We didn’t know what our future would be'
Ken Colbung was a “strong man with a big heart”. He became a prominent Aboriginal activist and respected Noongar Elder of the Bibbulmun people, but he never forgot his service in Korea.
'It’s important to ... ensure he’s not forgotten'
Stafford Kenny James “Len” Lenoy served in New Guinea during the Second World War, and then with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) in Japan, but was killed in Korea in April 1951 during the battle of Kapyong.
Remembering Thomas Samuels
Thomas Samuels wanted nothing more than to serve his country. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 3 October 1917, was allotted to the No. 1 Depot Company on the 12th, and discharged that same day. The reason: Thomas Samuels was Indigenous.