Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to honour the service and sacrifices of those Indigenous Australians who served us in past conflicts. In 1985 I was in year 10 at Rockhampton Grammar School and the school sergeant was a man named Jim Gredrick, Warrant Officer Class 1. Jim was an Aboriginal and a proud man. It turned out Jim also fought in World War II, fought in Malaya, fought in the confrontation, was part of the Australian Army training team in Vietnam and of course served with the 3rd Battalion in Korea. He was one of the most highly decorated men I have met and I have known, this great Aboriginal Australian.

Indigenous servicemen and women have made an enormous contribution to our Defence Force, having first been involved in the Boer War as early as 1899. In fact, several Indigenous Australians participated in the Boer War, serving as trackers with mounted infantry units. In the first half of the 20th century non-Europeans were officially barred from serving in our Defence Force, yet in World War I over 500 Aboriginals and a number of Torres Strait Islanders still managed to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force. Indeed, one of my postings in 1994 was on Thursday Island with Charlie Company 51st Battalion Far North Queensland regiment helping to train the largest Indigenous Army unit, 130 Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal soldiers. It was one of the great delights of my life working up there and training those soldiers and leading them on operations. They were first class, they were second to none.

Some might find it strange that prior to 1967, when Aboriginals were officially recorded in the census, many of them served, but they did, and they served well with a great tradition of loyalty and patriotism that all Australians can be proud of. Indigenous Australians have been present in every major fight we have had since the campaigns of World War I. Colour knows no difference in the heat of battle. Having served on operations myself, it does not make any difference what colour the bloke next to you or the lady is; what matters is their capacity to fight, their loyalty, their toughness, their fitness, their capacity to look out for one another. I have served with Tongans, with Fijians, with Kiwis, with Maoris and with Aboriginal soldiers and I am proud to say I have served with some of the finest soldiers I have seen on Earth. White and black Australian soldiers have formed great partnerships as Australians for over 100 years. Many have been decorated for outstanding bravery. Corporal Albert Knight of the 43rd Battalion and Private William Irwin 33rd Battalion were each awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Others received the Military Medal. Private William Rawlings, 29th Battalion, was awarded his medal for rare bravery in the performance of his duty in July 1917. He was killed the following year.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians made an even more significant contribution to Australia's defence in World War II, including my good colleague, our school sergeant Jim Gredrick. Many travelled enormous distances to enlist. Torres Strait Islanders Charles Mene and Victor Blanco joined the militia in September 1939 and transferred to the Second AIF for service overseas, Mene 2/33 Battalion and Blanco 2/31 Battalion and served right through the war including on the Kokoda Trail.

Reg Saunders, perhaps the best-known Indigenous servicemen, joined up in 1940 and served in the 2/7 Battalion in Libya, Greece and Crete, spending a year on the run after the Germans captured the island. He would later serve in New Guinea when the 7th and 9th Divisions returned home. His story is well known. He proved himself an exceptional junior leader. He was sent to an officer training course and commissioned in November 1944. He was Australia's first Indigenous military officer.

He enlisted again in 1950 to serve in the Korean War. Captain Saunders, as he was then, led a company of the 3rd Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment in the Battle of Kapyong. He fought beside my good friend Jim Geedrick. With the advance of the Japanese in the Pacific, Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders found themselves literally in the front line against those who would seek harm upon our nation. It is no surprise as great Australians they served with honour, dignity and great valour. They were extremely important to our success in the Pacific.

The Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion was formed in 1943 to provide additional protection to the powerful invasion opening to the north during World War II. It had some 700 members with the majority being Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders. Indeed, Charlie Company 51st Battalion, the Far North Queensland Regiment that I served with as an officer, draws its strength, calibre, capacity and character from that great light infantry battalion.

These men made use of their tradition as warriors to make a unique and vital contribution to the war effort. Their knowledge of local reefs and waters proved invaluable to the 2nd Australian Water Transport Unit, as their knowledge proves invaluable to us today. Indigenous Australians continue to make a substantial contribution to the Defence Force. They continue to serve our nation with great distinction. Programs exist now to make greater use of young Indigenous Australians.

We encourage and welcome all who seek a great career in our Defence Force. They have served with great distinction in the past. They have been and are great Australians. It is with great pride that I honour their service and their sacrifice here this evening.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For most of our nation's history our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been ineligible to vote; however, that has not stopped us allowing them to die for their country. On 29 September 2012 I attended the memorial service at Ipswich Cemetery in Raceview in Ipswich, recognising the service of Aboriginal soldier Trooper Horace Dalton some 56 years after his death. I thank the Ipswich City Council for organising the wonderful service.

Horace Dalton was a trooper in the 11th Light Horse Regiment in World War I in the Middle East. Whilst he fought for the freedom of all Australians he did not enjoy the same rights as other Australians. He was not even considered an Australian citizen. Like many of his military cohort he had to be economical with the truth to enlist—only, at 19, he did not lie about his age rather he lied to satisfy the requirement that service people be of substantially European origin.

He served in Egypt from 1918 to 1919 and died in Ipswich in 1956. There was no military funeral for Trooper Dalton. When he returned from war he was not even allowed to attend reunions. I was proud to be part of that memorial service and dedication of his grave which finally recognised his service to his country. The Ipswich City Council, the local RSL, serving military personnel, clergy and members of the Ipswich and wider community came to show their respects.

Trooper Dalton's 73-year-old son Ken said his father had been a staunch patriot who had felt a duty to defend Australia. In other words, he felt compelled to fight for the rights of Australians that he himself did not enjoy. Ken said his father had been like any young guy who wanted to sign up and help his country. Even though his country had treated him shamefully, he was a proud Australian who was proud of his service.

Ken gave a very moving speech. He did not pull any punches about what his father had to endure and the depth of the institutional racism in Australia at the time of World War I and in subsequent years. But now his children and grandchildren are seeing the benefits and they are enjoying the rights that he himself did not enjoy.

The irony was that Trooper Dalton had to sign a statutory declaration saying he had the correct heritage to be an Australian soldier when he was one of the true owners of the land. Mabo would come many decades later. There was a referendum in 1967 and in 1962 they got the right to vote for the first time—six years after he died.

The recognition of Trooper Dalton is in large part due to the work of Ipswich RSL member Matt Rennie. I thank Matt for his work. Matt had worked to ensure that Trooper Dalton was honoured properly after discovering his grave seven years ago. Trooper Dalton had been buried in an unmarked grave along with 72 other former soldiers at Ipswich Cemetery.

His grave now bears a plaque detailing his service.

It is a shameful part of our history that Indigenous Australians were not recognised for the significant role they played in our armed forces. In spite of the restrictions on non-Europeans entering the war, about 1,000 Indigenous Australians fought in World War I. By World War II there were over 3,000 Indigenous Australians in the armed forces of our country, and many of those people lost their lives. However, it may be the opportunity we have now to recognise the bigotry and racism of mainstream Australia in those days, and to recognise what these men had to endure to fight for the country which treated them so shamefully after they came home.

Serving in the trenches was the first time many non-Indigenous Australians had even encountered Indigenous Australians. This had been a time when Indigenous Australians could not enter a public bar, own property or even vote in an election. The beginning of the end of this electoral and economic segregation did not happen until 1962 and 1967, when we recognised Indigenous Australians as citizens and gave them the right to vote. The Australian Defence Force gave these Indigenous servicemen an opportunity to earn a decent wage.

Gary Oakley, a curator in Indigenous liaison with the Australian War Memorial, has noted that the ADF was the first equal opportunity employer of Indigenous Australians. When they came home, like Trooper Dalton, they could not attend reunions or share a beer with their mates. Yet Indigenous Australians have participated in every war and peacekeeping mission since this country has been involved. Today, there are 800 Indigenous Australians serving in the ADF and we should be proud of their service historically and contemporaneously.

Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and may I congratulate you on your exultation for this honoured job that you have had. It is the first time I have actually had the opportunity to be speaking when you have been in the chair.

The 11th of November 1998, one of the Remembrance Days we are talking about, was very special for me, because on that day I had the honour of seconding the Address-in-Reply to the Governor-General in my maiden speech to parliament—we had only been sworn in the day before. The former member for Blair, Cameron Thompson, moved that debate before 11 am and, appropriately, the former member for Cowan, Graham Edwards, a Vietnam veteran who lost his legs in action, was given the honour of speaking after the one minute silence. I thought that was very appropriate and I had the privilege to follow Graham Edwards in that speech on that day.

Remembrance Day is a time to pause and reflect on the significant sacrifices made by those men and women who have served Australia in past conflicts. It is a time to honour those who have fallen and to acknowledge that our country is the vibrant democracy it is today as a result of men and women who were prepared to sacrifice everything in order to serve in our armed forces and defend our country on the battlefield.

Recently we learnt of the very sad and tragic death of Corporal Scott James Smith. Corporal Smith was born in the Barossa Valley in my electorate of Barker. He joined the Army in 2006, was a member of the Special Operations Task Group and was from the Special Operations Engineer Regiment based at Holsworthy Barracks in New South Wales—they are affectionately known as 'sappers'. I take this opportunity to once again extend my deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Corporal Smith. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and his fellow soldiers who served alongside him in Afghanistan.

So let us recognise the contributions of our servicemen and women and let us also remember the contributions made by many Indigenous servicemen and women, and that is what this motion seeks to do. It highlights their involvement and ensures that their contributions are fully acknowledged and recognised, because in the past this has not been the case. This motion is also about uncovering the hidden histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ex-service men and women, ensuring that their legacy is no longer a silent one.

It is important that we recognise the contributions of servicemen and servicewomen, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Some years ago, when I served on the Joint Standing Committee on Native Title, I personally saw on their islands many of their memorials for Torres Strait Islanders who had served in conflicts, which is when I first became aware of their valiant efforts.

As Australians, we have a lot to be thankful for. So much is owed to the good work of our military personnel, from World War I, when, of course, November 11 originated, and World War II to Vietnam, Korea and, more recently, Afghanistan and Iraq. Australia has stood up for freedom and democracy and our military personnel have done, and continue to do, what needs to be done to ensure that Australia and its interests are protected from external threats. Australia is also a country that punches above its weight when it comes to our contribution to defending these principles, and that is worth noting as well. That is a reflection of the commitment, dedication and professionalism of our serving forces. Part of honouring our servicemen and servicewomen involves expressing our gratitude for their service and, on behalf of my electorate of Barker, I say thank you. There are many ways that we can say thank you. We should remember what we have been silent about with our Indigenous servicemen and we say thank you by remembering their stories, we say thank you by maintaining war memorials and we say thank you by ensuring that when our veterans return we see that they are treated with respect and given every support that a nation should provide.

Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Parkes for bringing this motion before us. With Remembrance Day coming up on 11 November, it is a very fitting time for us to acknowledge and honour the contribution of all brave Australians who have sacrificed or are still sacrificing their lives on behalf of our nation. This year I will have the honour of attending two Remembrance Day services in my electorate, one at the regional war memorial in Bigge Park, Liverpool, organised by the Liverpool sub-branch of the RSL. On the same day I will be participate in the Vietnam Remembrance Day Unveiling and Dedication Ceremony at Cabra-Vale Memorial Park. This event is organised by the Vietnamese Community in Australia—with President Thang Nguyen—and the Vietnam Veterans Associations of Australia. While Remembrance Day is a day that we acknowledge and honour all soldiers who served and continue to serve our nation, I am particularly glad that the member for Parkes has specifically acknowledged the contribution of our Indigenous servicemen and servicewomen. Their contribution is great but I am afraid it has gone largely unrecognised over many years. Aboriginal members have played a significant role in the Australian Defence Force but their contribution would have undoubtedly been even greater had those with Aboriginal background not have had to deal with issues of enrolment due to their race. Despite these difficulties and unclear historical records, we know that at least 400 Aboriginal soldiers served in World War I while a much larger group, up to somewhere around 6,000, were involved in World War II. Today, as I know because I checked with the minister's office, there are 550 Indigenous personnel enrolled at the moment with the Australian Defence Force.

A few months ago I attended the official opening of and a smoking ceremony at the Dreaming Gardens at the Middleton Grange Public School located adjacent to the old Hoxton Park airfield. The school has proudly named one of their sports houses after a guy called Len Waters, who was the first Aboriginal fighter pilot for the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. Principal Hallie-Ann Baxter and the school should be praised for their recognition of this hero. I was personally moved by Len's history of overcoming very difficult beginnings and obstacles to achieve something extraordinary. Len Waters worked as a shearer before joining the RAAF in 1942. He initially trained as a mechanic but, due to the shortage of pilots, volunteered for flying duties and graduated as a sergeant pilot in 1944.

He completed 95 missions while flying in the Pacific theatre, rising to the rank of warrant officer by the end of the war. Clearly he was a man of great courage, fortitude and tremendous skills. Unfortunately, in an era of continued discrimination and despite his heroic service on behalf of our nation, following his discharge in 1946 he was left with little choice other than to return to shearing to support his family, which he did.

Together with the late Senator Judith Adams and the member for Forrest, I had the opportunity a couple of years ago to spend time with NORFORCE in Alice Springs as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. NORFORCE was raised in 1981 and its primary role is surveillance and reconnaissance in the northern regions of Australia, and draws the majority of its personnel from the local Indigenous population. The skills of these Aboriginal soldiers play a significant and vital role in this regiment. The pride in the uniform of these men and women is absolutely palpable. We are very fortunate for their commitment. As a nation we have progressed far since the first and second world wars. The Defence Force is doing much to ensure that we not only recognise our Indigenous population but that we also do much to avail ourselves of their skills and their talents. We have done much in the way of creating an inclusive, fair society, but, in my humble opinion, there is still much more to be done. I congratulate the member for Parkes for bringing this motion forward.

Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too commend the member for Parkes for this very important motion. Indigenous Australians have served in virtually every conflict and peacekeeping mission in which Australia has participated since the start of the last century—from the Boer War through to East Timor—but it is difficult to give an exact number for those who served because we have been quite inconsistent in Australia in recognising the Indigenous status of those who volunteered to serve. Section 61H of the Defence Act 1910 exempted from service in time of war persons who are 'not substantially of European origin or descent'. Although the Defence Act initially frustrated Aboriginal attempts to enlist, recruitment policies were relaxed after the heavy losses in 1916 and 1917. Men who claimed one European parent were sometimes accepted for overseas service. However, Commonwealth and state governments still consistently underestimated Aboriginal contributions because of these definition issues.

At the start of World War II, the Defence Act barred the conscription of full-blooded Indigenous people because it was held that since they were not enfranchised citizens, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders should not be compelled to defend Australia. The Indigenous status of service personnel was not recorded on ADF enlistment forms because, quite simply, those forms did not allow it, and so Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders were not able to state their heritage until well after 1980.

There are currently about 820 people in the permanent ADF who identify as being of Indigenous origin. We know however that the families of all of those who have served are well aware of their contributions and we need to share their pride. I am particularly proud of the Aboriginal servicemen from the electorate of Murray who served whenever their country called, including the first and second world wars, despite the fact that when they came back it was without being recognised as full Australian citizens. Certainly they were not allowed to put their hands up for solider settlement support.

Private Daniel Cooper was born in Barmah, which is right next door to Cummeragunja, the mission on the Murray River. He was born in 1895. He enlisted in the AIF at Broadmeadows on 23 July 1915 and trained in Egypt. He joined the 24th Battalion on the Western Front in June 1916. This was just before the 24th Battalion fought in its first major battles in France—Pozieres in July and Mouquet Farm in August. Daniel went to England briefly with health problems. He returned and rejoined the 24th Battalion. We believe he was with this unit when he was killed in action on 20 September 1917.

We think it was 20 September, because there is also an entry that he was killed on 29 September 1917. However, the official record of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states Daniel's death was on 20 September. At the time, the 2nd Australian Division was fighting in the Battle of Menin Road. It could be assumed that Private Cooper died on the first day of the battle. He is buried at the Perth Cemetery, China Wall, in Belgium, along with 2,007 of his fellow Commonwealth servicemen.

Private Arthur Charles Nelson was born at Cummeragunja mission in April 1894. He enlisted in the AIF at Echuca in June 1918, giving his address as Barmah. Because he enlisted so late, however, he was recalled to Australia before reaching Europe.

Andrew Cooper was born in Echuca in 1896. He enlisted in the AIF in June 1917. He was discharged as medically unfit before he was sent overseas, but he was there to serve, and he would have done so with great distinction, I know, on behalf of his family, because he felt he was an Australian and he needed to defend his nation. On his enlistment form it states that he was a 'half-caste'.

I want to particularly acknowledge other Victorian Aboriginal soldiers of World War I who were killed in action: Laurence Henry Booth from Orbost; Daniel Cooper, son of the legendary William Cooper; William Alexander Egan from Warrnambool; James Gordon Harris from Healesville; William Fredrick Murray from Orbost; William Reginald Rawlings, also a military medal winner, from Warrnambool; Gilbert Theo Stephen; and Harry Thorpe from Lakes Entrance, who was also a military medal winner.

I want to also mention the Cummeragunja Government Mission women, who did a fantastic job knitting socks, jumpers and balaclavas for the World War II effort. There are some wonderful photos of them, sitting out in the open, all with their knitting—socks and scarves—draped over their knees, and of course the family names of these women are the same as those of the men who put up their hands to serve. Lest we ever forget.

Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There is a man in my electorate named David Williams. He is the New South Wales President of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association. Twenty-seven members of David's family have served in the Australia military and he himself has served in the Navy for 30 years. He is an extraordinary man. If all he had managed to do with his life is raise the amazing children he has raised, that would be enough, but he has also served our country for 30 years.

David joined the military at a time when you could join as an Aboriginal Australian. He has been a proud Aboriginal serviceman ever since, but he spends considerable time reminding me and anyone else who he can find that many, many Aboriginal servicemen have not received the appropriate recognition for the service they gave to their country and were in fact appallingly treated on their return to Australia. Like many servicemen, he also points out that, while serving, they were well treated by their fellow soldiers. It was their return and the conditions of their enlistment which are a stain on our society still today.

We know that Aboriginal Australians served in the first Boer War right back in 1880, the second Boer War, World War I, World War II, the occupation of Japan, the Korean War, the Malayan emergency, the Indonesian confrontation and the Vietnam war. We also know that it was in the Vietnam War itself that they actually became citizens and were entitled to call themselves Australians—that late. Many, many Aboriginal people had served this country before they were given that right. But they served in the first Gulf War in 1990 and 1991, Afghanistan, the second Gulf War and in peacekeeping in East Timor and the Solomon's. An extraordinary record of contribution.

We know that there were at least 500 Aboriginal servicemen in World War I and maybe 5,000 in World War II, but we do not know the numbers because Aboriginal Australians were restricted by the Defence Act 1903 from joining. In order to join, they had to deny their Aboriginality. Many pretended to be Maoris or Indians to join our services. Again, that is something that must have been difficult for them to do and it indicates an extraordinary commitment to serving this country. We know that over 95 per cent of the entire male Torres Strait Islander population of age served in uniform during World War II. I will repeat that number: 95 per cent of the population of age.

They served in either the Torres Strait Island Light Infantry Battalion, the Torres Strait Island coastal artillery or Army small boats units. It was the largest volunteer group from any Australian community. They are known, but what is less known is that they were only paid about one-third of the wages of their white counterpart soldiers and that wrong was only addressed when additional compensation was paid in the early 1980s. Again, it was an extraordinary contribution by the male Torres Strait Islander population at that time.

The government has taken steps so that we can know the stories of our Aboriginal veterans. We do not know all their names; we certainly do not know their tribal names or what tribes they came from. I know from talking to the Aboriginal Australian veterans in my area that knowing the tribal names and the tribe they came from is equally important to knowing when they served. In July, we committed more than $1 million to a major new research project as part of the Australian Research Council's Linkage Projects funding. The project is titled 'Serving our country: a history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the defence of Australia'. It is a four-year project that will be led by researchers from the Australian National University, with partners from the Department of Defence, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, the National Archives of Australia, the Department of Veterans' Affairs and the Australian War Memorial. It will commence in 2013 and it will take four years—a massive research undertaking to identify the names and backgrounds of thousands of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders who served this country before they were legally allowed to do so in 1949. It is a remarkable project that will help us understand the full contribution and pay respect that is due to these remarkable Australians.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Parkes to recognise the contribution that Indigenous service men and women have made to the Australian Defence Force and, indeed, to the defence of our nation. As we approach Remembrance Day on 11 November, when we reflect every year on the contribution made by thousands of Australians who have died in the defence of our nation, we should take this opportunity to also reflect on the often unnoticed or undocumented contribution of Indigenous Australians to our defence forces.

It is a blight on the history of this nation that Indigenous Australians were not granted citizenship and, indeed, were not recognised as Australians until 1967. Worse than that, even Indigenous troops from both World War I and World War II came from a section of society with very low wages and with little likelihood of moving up the social ladder. In all areas, from education and employment to civil liberties, discrimination against Indigenous Australians was rampant. Regretfully, even in 2012, we continue to associate Indigenous communities with discrimination and disadvantage.

While we continue to lament the fact that military superannuation for all troops under the Defence Force Retirement Benefits Scheme and Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefit Scheme have not been fairly indexed, thousands of Indigenous troops also experienced firsthand discrimination not just from Australians but from the Australian government. Only in 1992 did the Australian federal government grant monetary back pay and recognition in the form of service medals. When times became tough in World War I, the defence forces eased their restrictions on Indigenous Australians joining the military. In October 1917, a military order stated:

Half-castes may be enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force provided that the examining Medical Officers are satisfied that one of the parents is of European origin.

Yet, after World War I, the restrictions on enlistment for Indigenous Australians were reimposed.

Upon returning to Australia after World War II, many Indigenous troops, even while still in their defence uniforms, experienced prejudice and discrimination. Many were refused service in bars or were the victims of racial slurs from their fellow soldiers. During World War II, it is estimated that some 3,000 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders served in the armed forces, many in specially raised Indigenous units including the Torres Strait Island Light Infantry Battalion. During that time, an Indigenous Australian serving in an Indigenous unit was paid significantly less—approximately half—than their fellow soldiers and, worse, did not have any access to entitlements as veterans. It took a two-day 'mutiny' in December 1943 for their pay to be raised to two-thirds that of a regular soldier.

When they returned home, as I have mentioned, they experienced further discrimination. Most were barred from Returned and Services League clubs, except on Anzac Day.

Sadly, to this day, we still do not have a full record of the contribution of Indigenous Australians to the defence of our nation. As this motion notes, at least 400 Indigenous troops served in World War I and somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000 Indigenous troops served under our flag in World War II. Important work is being undertaken by the Australian War Memorial, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, the ANU and other organisations to recover and document information about the contribution of these Indigenous troops.

They are uncovering stories of contributions from Indigenous troops such as Private Timothy Hughes, who served in the 2nd/10th Battalion, a proud rat of Tobruk who won the Military Medal for bravery under fire while in Buna, Papua. We now know stories from the Queensland 2nd/26th Battalion which included many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, such as Private John Knox, who died in Changi in August 1942, and Private George Cubby, who died on the infamous Burma-Thailand Railway.

According to Australian Geographic, more than 800 Indigenous Australians are currently serving in the Australian Defence Force, and I welcome their contribution as Australians. Many are serving in our ongoing efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like their predecessors, they continue to defend the land on which all Australians live.

Indigenous Australians today serve in the regular and reserve forces, and we recognise the three regional force surveillance units based in northern Australia. Many reserve and regular troops from Indigenous communities currently serve in the 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment, the Pilbara regiment in Western Australia and the North-West Mobile Force, NORFORCE, which is based in north-east Western Australia and the Northern Territory. I welcome these contributions, and I thank the member for Parkes for his motion today which reflects the contribution of thousands of Indigenous Australians for more than a century to the defence of our nation.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to congratulate the member for Parkes for bringing this motion into the parliament too. I believe it is a very important motion and one that moves towards greater recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in our country because not only does it look to what they have achieved in the past; it shows where we have been and where we need to go. I would like to also congratulate the members for Ryan and Parramatta on the excellent contributions that they have made to this debate because I think they really highlighted the issues that are so important.

Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have served alongside non-Indigenous Australians since the Boer War at the turn of the 20th century. As there was no requirement at that stage for recruits to list their ethnic background on their enlistment papers, there are no accurate figures on how many Indigenous personnel served. There was also a disincentive to list that they were Indigenous because Indigenous people were not welcome in the armed services.

Several Indigenous personnel have ranked among the most well known of Australian service men and women. At the moment, as the member for Parramatta highlighted, there is a project that has been funded to develop a complete picture of the contribution of Indigenous men and women have made to Australia's military history. There is $1 million over four years. That project commences in 2013. That will list the names and the backgrounds of those Indigenous Australians who served their country so bravely and so well alongside non-Indigenous Australians and were accepted and welcomed. Their contribution was appreciated by all other service men and women.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service personnel served in the Army or whatever division of the defence services they chose. But, once they had finished their service, they went back into their communities and they did not receive the same benefits or the same support that non-Indigenous Australians received.

I think that goes along with the fact that it is really difficult to ascertain the history of Indigenous Australians and their contribution to the war effort.

Once they left the Army they went back to a life where they were not given special treatment in relation to housing and jobs, and they had to struggle in a way that non-Indigenous servicemen did not. For instance, approximately 500 Aboriginal men served in World War I. They did that because they wanted the experience and the opportunity and sometimes to escape the life on the missions. They hoped that by fighting for Australia they would get recognition and be treated in the same way that non-Aboriginal or non-Indigenous Australians were treated. They thought it would provide them with better economic, social and political opportunities upon their return, but unfortunately that did not happen. Several Aboriginal reserves such as Lake Condah in western Victoria were broken up for housing for ex-servicemen and then given to only non-Indigenous ex-servicemen. I think this really highlights some of the issues. When the war was over their life continued to be marked by discrimination in employment, education and living conditions.

In 2007, 1.4 per cent of ADF members were identified as Indigenous servicemen. Today we recognise and appreciate the role that Indigenous servicemen played. As part of NAIDOC Week, the Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley, laid a wreath in honour of Indigenous service men and women past and present. He said of those Aboriginal and Torres Strait island people who championed change within the defence services, 'They dared to challenge.'

Ken O'Dowd (Flynn, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to speak today in support of the motion moved by the member for Parkes, which states:

That this House:

(1) acknowledges the sacrifices made by those who have served Australia in past and present wars and conflicts and the importance of Remembrance Day in honouring those who have fallen; and

(2) notes that many Indigenous servicemen and women have also made valuable contributions to the Australian Defence Force, and that:

(a) in the past these contributions have not been fully acknowledged and recognised;

(b) historically many people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background experienced difficulties in enlisting due to their race;

(c) the full extent of the contribution of Indigenous peoples to past wars and conflicts is a subject that is still being researched today—

There are very few records and of the records that we do have some of them could be a bit flimsy. The motion continues:

(d) more information will only add to the valuable wealth of knowledge that informs Australia's commemoration ceremonies and enriches the historic record;

(e) it is estimated that at least 400 Aboriginals or Torres Strait Islanders served in the First World War …

Prior to them enlisting, they had very few rights. They had no land ownership, they had no voting rights and they of course were not allowed alcohol. They had low wages, if they had any wages at all, and their living conditions were very poor. A lot of them worked on cattle properties. A lot of them had no jobs whatsoever. However, thankfully, once they were in the AIF they were generally befriended and treated equally and paid the same as Australians. It was pleasing that once they were in the Army they were generally accepted well by the other Australian troops. In 1914, many Aboriginals were rejected on race grounds but by 1917 the recruits were drying up from the ordinary Australian population and more Indigenous people were then enlisted. However, there was a military law that stated that to be enlisted they must have one parent of European origin.

Why did the Aborigines enlist in the first place? They were loyal to their country, they had patriotism, they wanted to prove themselves and they wanted to push for better treatment and recognition after World War I. They were paid six shillings a day, the same as the other troops, and that was classed as good money. But, after the war had finished, they were offered very little support—there were no soldier settlement blocks offered to the Aborigines.

It is estimated that there were 3,000 to 6,000 Aboriginal servicemen in the Second World War, but the limited historical records indicate that these figures could have been much higher than this. Initially, Indigenous recruits were not considered and were deemed necessary or not desirable. However, when the Japanese entered World War II, enlistment by Torres Strait Islanders and Aborigines rose dramatically. They became front-line soldiers. Many were killed on the frontline, and many died in POW camps. Those that survived were full of pride and confidence. By 1949, there were no race restrictions on recruits. This was a great achievement for our nation. Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders have served in all major conflicts since those days—in the Air Force, in the Navy and in the Army. They also performed other duties during World War II. The RAAF depended heavily on Aboriginal labour in Northern Australia during the Second World War. Aborigines helped out in camps, they helped out in butchers shops and they helped out by providing services to the men who were out there fighting—and they themselves fought too.

Today the NORFORCE regiment still operates in Northern Australia. Only last week I had the pleasure of meeting some of those reserve army guys up there who are doing a great job protecting our northern borders. They are great Australians and great troops. Lest we forget. (Time expired)

Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is my great pleasure to speak on this motion, which recognises the service of Indigenous servicemen and women in our military forces in defence of the Australian people. Over 400 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders served in the First World War, and in excess of 5,000 of them served in the Second World War and have served since then. During my contribution to this debate I will talk about Private Frank Archibald, who was born in Walcha, New South Wales, on 17 February, 1915.

Frank's military service began on 17 May 1940 when, at the age of 25, he enlisted in the AIF along with his younger brother Ron and his uncle Richard Archibald Sr. Frank sailed out of Sydney on 30 August and arrived in Palestine, where he joined his unit, on 30 September. He served in the Battle of Bardia, then in Tobruk, then in Benghazi and then in Crete and Greece. After a short period of leave back in Australia, Frank's unit, 2/2nd Battalion AIF, left Brisbane on 12 September, 1942. They were bound for Port Moresby and the desperate defence of Australia from the northern onslaught of the imperial Japanese forces. Tragically, on 24 November, Frank was killed in action on the Kokoda Track during the Siege of Buna while trying to save a mate of his. His mate survived; he did not.

Sadly, in some ways this is not a remarkable story; many joined our armed forces and served Australia during this time, and too many of them lost their lives in battle as a result. The story is made remarkable by the fact that Frank Archibald was an Indigenous Australian. Hundreds of Indigenous Australians served in the second AIF and the militia under the same conditions as non-Indigenous Australians, in most cases with the promise of full citizenship and rights after the war.

As a good mate of mine, Freddy Moore, tells me, they could not even get a beer in the front bar of a pub. They had to watch as all their mates who were demobbed at the same time as them walked into the front bar and had a beer, and sometimes if their mates were feeling generous they would pony one out the back door for them. They had to sit under a gum tree out the back—a tragic story, repeated hundreds and hundreds of times around the country. These young boys and men risked their lives—in Frank's case, he gave his life—to serve their country.

Since Frank's death in New Guinea in 1942, the Archibald family has felt great sadness that Private Frank, an Indigenous Australian, has been buried away from his traditional country without the necessary Aboriginal traditional rites having been performed to bring his spirit to rest. I am pleased to advise the House today that on Anzac Day this year 12 members of the Archibald family, including members of his family from my electorate, including his only surviving sibling, Grace Gordon, travelled to Kokoda and performed this ceremony. I was very pleased to be able to assist them. I have to pay tribute to the many corporations and individuals, including Qantas, who funded the trip to ensure that this was a successful ceremony.

This Saturday the Kokoda Aboriginal Servicemen's Campaign Committee is holding a special event to the celebrate the 70th anniversary of Kokoda Day at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway in Concord. This event will highlight the journey to the war cemetery at Bomana on Anzac Day 2012 to visit the graves of six Aboriginal diggers and bring their spirits home to country, and that will be followed by the unveiling of a memorial plaque commemorating Aboriginal servicemen who fought in the Battle of Kokoda. I wish the organisers all the very best for a successful commemoration of a special chapter of Australia's military history and our Indigenous service. In the spirit of reconciliation, I think it is quite proper that we respect their memories; that we do whatever we can to support the families and their ancestors to ensure that they receive the proper rites, as indeed the Archibald family did. I commend the member for Parkes for bringing this matter before the House.

Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allotted for the debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.