Time marches on

The painting is a mixed media portrait of the artist's father Owen Bancroft marching with his fellow servicemen in 1985. The work is both an intimate homage to family as well as a broader commentary on indigenous military experience in Australia. It is part of a series titled 'Remembering' that the artist produced to explore the individual stories of her own family to create greater appreciation and awareness of their experiences. As a work made to commemorate her father's service, the artist has engaged with a popular medium of the time of hand-coloured photography. She has reinterpreted it in a contemporary fashion to refocus on the indigenous military experience. Of this work, the artist noted; 'This Image of my father, Owen Cecil Joseph Bancroft (Bill) and was taken by me in 1985 when Dad was marching with his Water Transport (little Ships) in George Street, Sydney. Dad had a light blue coat on and I always remember how much he loved his mates and meeting up with them at the Newtown RSL. He was the only Aboriginal man in his division and they adored him. I once asked Dad why he went to war and he simply said 'it's my country too!'. I hold my father in high esteem for his dedication to his mates and our country. He controlled the Barges for landing and was the equivalent to an engineer (even though he had no formal education)'. Bronwyn Bancroft is a descendant of the Djanbun clan of the Bundjalung nation and initially worked as a fabric and textile designer, working as an artist for over 20 years.
Corporal Owen Bancroft (NX191111) was part of the 53rd Port Craft Company (3rd Water Transport Group) and saw active service in New Britain between March 1945 and the end of the war. He enlisted in the Second AIF in January 1944, but before that was in the CMF - the Citizens Military Forces - from February 1942. During the Second World War, the Australian army formed water transport companies for service in the Pacific. They operated landing craft, barges and small ships, and transported soldiers, stores and equipment around New Guinea, Bougainville and New Britain. The water transport companies belonged to the Royal Australian Engineers. Australians serving in the US Army's Small Ships Section performed a similar roll.