Indigenous veterans advocate named National NAIDOC Male Elder of the Year

Campaigning for recognition of Indigenous veterans, supporting the youth of Geraldton and promoting Yamatji culture are just some of the many reasons Amangu Badimia man Graham Taylor was named 2015 National NAIDOC Male Elder of the Year.

Humble about his own achievements, Graham never misses an opportunity to remind people of the contribution of Aboriginal service men and women.

“A lot of people don’t realise it, but Indigenous people have been involved in all the wars that Australia’s been in, from the Boer War right through to the present,” Graham said.

“We do a dawn service on the Sunday before NAIDOC Week commences and we’ve been doing it for nine years now. Every year it’s getting bigger and better.”

Graham joined the army as a teenager. He left his home state of Western Australia to train in the tropics of Queensland in preparation for a seven month tour of Vietnam. His six year military career also included a second tour in Malaysia.

“We were the last battalion in Vietnam, an ANZAC battalion, and we had a company of Kiwis with us,” Graham said.

“That’s why ANZAC Day and ANZAC means a lot to us. Serving with the Kiwis, they were mad as meat axes but good soldiers. You were glad to have them on your side.”

A Geraldton RSL stalwart, Graham has never missed an ANZAC Day Service. He arranged for a plaque to be mounted on the RSL remembrance wall acknowledging Aboriginal people who fought and died for their country. He has also dedicated countless hours to the development of a Bundiyarra Corporation Gallipoli enactment and dugout display.

Graham’s other passion is working with at-risk youth through Geraldton Streetwork Aboriginal Corporation. He spent four years as chairperson in the early stages of the organisation’s life but stepped down when he turned 60 to “let someone younger take over”.

“As an Elder, we’ve always been trying to teach our younger generation our culture, the way that we live and have been taught over in the mid-west in Geraldton, Yamatji country,” Graham said.

“We have to keep the younger generation focused on who they are so that they won’t forget that they’re Aboriginal.

“Now days I think there are a lot of people who are seeing that country life isn’t that good for their children and they’re moving into the city where they can go to school and further their education.

“This is good, just as long as they don’t forget about their Aboriginal culture.”