Interesting Links
The following links demonstrate the wide and varied contribution Indigenous men and women have made in war time and in peace.
State Records New South Wales, Staff pick: Soldiering in the late 19th Century
http://archivesoutside.records.nsw.gov.au/staff-pick-soldiering-in-the-late-19th-century/
Includes information on other records held by State Records and links to other major institutions holding war records.
Australian World War One Records Finder
http://wraggelabs.com/ww1-records/
A single search entry gives results from a number of searches across Australian War Memorial databases and the service records at the National Archives of Australia. It was built by Tim Sherratt and gives information on the background to the search engine.
South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council, Kaartdijin Noongar – Noongar Knowledge , War Service
http://www.noongarculture.org.au/war-service/
Information about the war service of Noongar West Australians who served. Includes information about the discriminatory social conditions which existed at the time of WWI and WWII.
South Australian Soldiers of the First World War
http://aboriginalww1veteransofsouthaustralia.blogspot.com.au/
A blog which is collecting stories about involvement by Aboriginal South Australians in the First World War.
The Boer War Memorial website – Private John Searle
http://www.bwm.org.au/site/John_Searle.asp
Private John Searle is an Aboriginal soldier who served in the Boer War.
?+ Private John Brooks http://www.bwm.org.au/site/John_Brooks.asp
Aboriginal Heroes: Episodes in the Colonial Landscape
http://www.qhatlas.com.au/content/aboriginal-heroes-episodes-colonial-landscape
Short pieces on Aboriginal heroes from Queensland. Written by Dale Kerwin who is researching Aboriginal involvement in the Boer War. Includes a short piece on the Boer War.
Indigenous Histories
http://indigenoushistories.com/
Indigenous Histories is a Canberra based Australian publisher with a focus on Indigenous history, art and culture
Australia’s Forgotten Diggers
http://www.acu.edu.au/about_acu/our_university/publications/insight_magazine/australias_forgotten_diggers
Information about the research of Dr Noah Reisman who has written the book Defending Whose Country? Indigenous Soldiers in the Pacific War
Australia’s Involvement in the Korean War - Reg Saunders
http://korean-war.commemoration.gov.au/china-intervenes-in-korean-war/captain-reg-saunders.php
Information about Reg Saunders’ war service in WWII and Korea. Includes a portrait painted by Pamela Thalben-Ball.
Brave Family Spurned by Land they Spurned, Sydney Morning Herald article
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/brave-family-spurned-by-land-they-served/2007/05/27/1180205078964.html
Article about the Lovett family of Victoria’s war contribution. Five Lovett brothers went to WWI and five signed up for World War II.
Indigenous Servicemen: Their Contribution, Australian Geographic article
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/indigenous-australians-at-war.htm
Article describes the contribution of Indigenous Australians at war and their experiences at home. Mentions Captain Reg Saunders. His daughter has recently discovered his war diary.
Army on Show
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1022/story01.htm
The Australian Army celebrated the Centenary of Army in Canberra on 10 march 2001. Over 1,000 veterans took part in the celebrations. Included in this article is a photograph of the Torres Strait Island-based 51FNQR soldiers performing their Steyr Dance (which is a traditional spear dance adapted to include the Steyr rifle).
Dawn Service in PNG for Aboriginal Soldiers
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2012-04-25/dawn-service-in-png-for-aboriginal-soldiers/932944
The family of Private Frank Archibald has held a traditional ceremony at the ANZAC Dawn Service in Papua New Guinea to mark the 70th anniversary of the Kokoda campaign. Private Archibald is buried at the Bomana War Cemetery near Port Moresby, alongside six other Aboriginal soldiers.
A light is shone on Aboriginal soldiers’ service
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-10-29/a-light-is-shone-on-aboriginal-soldiers-service/2316108
Information about Private Len Ogilvie’s service in the Korean War. The article discusses the research of Jan James to produce her book Forever Warriors, which documents the war service of Indigenous Western Australians.
We Will Remember Them, AWAYE, broadcast 24 April 2010, 8 January 2011
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/awaye/we-will-remember-them/3669170
Download an mp3 of this program about Indigenous involvement in World War I for your personal use.
Role of Aboriginal Trackers at Victorian Wars Forum
http://www.victorianwars.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1339
Discussion centres on the research about Aboriginal trackers being sent to the Boer War.
Aboriginal Anzacs, ABC Behind the News
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/v3/stories/s1904419.htm
Story of a South Australian student who with her teacher and classmates went on a trip to Belgium to find the grave of a young Indigenous ANZAC named Rufus.
Festival Airing for Untold Digger’s Tale, The Australian, 23 November 2012
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/stage/festival-airing-for-untold-diggers-tale/story-fn9d344c-1226522303343
Article about a proposed play Black Diggers which Sydney Festival Director, Lieven Bertels, who grew up in Flanders, has commissioned for the 2014 Sydney Festival. It is inspired by the story of Rufus Rigney, a young Aboriginal soldier who is buried in the Flanders Fields.
Indigenous Australians, ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee of Queensland Incorporated web site
http://www.anzacday.org.au/history/ww2/homefront/indigenous.html
Short article on Indigenous Australians’ contribution to World War 1 on the homefront. Includes a quote by Oodgeroo Noonuccal who served in the Australian Women’s Army Service (as Kath Walker) and a photo of women at Cummerajunga Mission knitting for the war
The Real Sapphires, Hopscotch Films
http://www.hopscotchfilms.com.au/the-sapphires-film/the-real-sapphires/
Read about the women who inspired the award-winning film The Sapphires
Aboriginal soldiers navigate Talisman Sabre 2011 with U.S. Army Scouts, DVIDS website
http://www.dvidshub.net/image/435322/aboriginal-soldiers-navigate-talisman-sabre-2011-with-us-army-scouts#ixzz2OieZSa2d
Five images of Australian Indigenous soldiers taking part in the Talisman Sabre 2011 joint exercise with the U.S.
Percy’s War, PROV Channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aLX8d2UjpU
“This short documentary tells the story of Lucy and Percy Pepper and their children, an Aboriginal family from Gippsland in early twentieth century Victoria, as told by their descendants, family photographs and through official documents of the Victorian government.” (from website)