Indigenous Stories
The Memorial is honoured to be able to share the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
'We were all there for each other'
John Burns was starting to worry. It was 18 August 1966, and the battle of Long Tan had broken out. John, a bombardier with the 103 Field Battery at Nui Dat, was providing covering fire for the Australian troops, when his ammunition started to run dangerously low.
'I know that I am fighting for a new world in which my people will get a better deal'
When Charles Mene returned to Australia at the end of the Second World War, he realised that, for him, the war wasn’t really over. Despite facing discrimination when he came home, Mene would also go on to serve in Korea.
Finding Walter Parker
For years, Private Walter Parker’s story remained a mystery. Today, he is recognised as the first known Indigenous soldier to die while serving overseas.
Frederick Fletcher Fenn: 'One of the most terrifying experiences in my whole life'
Frederick Fletcher Fenn was a driver with the 2/10th Australian Infantry Battalion at Tobruk when he risked his life to save his seriously wounded mates.
Lindsay Walker: 'It was just unimaginable grief'
Lindsay Walker was just 21 years old when he was killed in the Second World War. His mother collapsed at the door of their family home in Sydney when she heard the news.
Peniatha Warria: Defending his island home
During the Second World War, almost every able-bodied man in the Torres Straits signed up to defend their country against the threat of invasion. Among them was Private Peniatha Warria, a 23-year-old Kulkalgal man who volunteered to defend his island home.
Harry Aldridge: Navigating Bomber Command
In April 1945, more than 200 Lancaster bombers flew to six different parts of the Netherlands. Rather than releasing bombs over their targets, they would be dropping food as part of Operation Manna. Among those taking part was Harry Aldridge, the first navigator in Bomber Command to be identified as having Aboriginal heritage by researchers at the Australian War Memorial.
Remembering Alex Bidice
Lyn Burke was researching First World War soldiers from Proserpine when she first came across the name, Private Alex Bidice.
Sedoi Harvey: a life of service
Growing up in Townsville in the 1970s, Sedoi Harvey would often see soldiers. Seeing them around town, in the movies, and on her television screen at home, she was inspired to join the army herself. A proud Torres Strait Islander woman, she would go on to serve in the Australian Army for more than 20 years.