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Remembering Indigenous Service Men and Women

11 November 2016
Culture and Capability
Graphical image of three Indigenous people dressed in naval, army and airforce uniforms but their images reflected in pool showing traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dress

On this Remembrance Day, Indigenous.gov.au honours those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who have served and continue to serve in Australia’s armed forces.

Today, the 11th of November, is Remembrance Day. At 11:00am all around the country, Australians observe one minute’s silence to remember all those who died or suffered in all wars, armed conflict or on operational service.

The Australian War Memorial (AWM) recently launched For Country, for Nation, an ‘exhibition dedicated exclusively to exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories of military service in times of war and peace’.

Fittingly, the exhibition was launched in the Captain Reg Saunders Courtyard. Captain Saunders MBE was the first Aboriginal Australian to be commissioned as an officer in the Australian Army.

AWM Squadron Leader Gary Oakley opened the exhibition while Director of the AWM Dr Brendan Nelson, spoke at the media event.

“Only four or five generations after the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, living in a desperately unequal Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples enlisted to fight for the young nation that has taken so much from them, often denying their heritage to do so,” Dr Nelson said.

“It is hard for non-Indigenous Australians to imagine the world as they saw it, but we must. Indigenous Australians have served in every conflict this country has engaged in and they continue to do so with pride and professionalism, which is nothing short of inspiring. This exhibition is an opportunity to honour their service.”

The AWM continues to research the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service men and women whose stories are not part of our national awareness. Read about two of them at Identify and recognise [PDF 563KB].

Remembrance Day was originally known as Armistice Day because it celebrated the ‘suspension of fighting’ in the First World War. This year marks the 98th anniversary of the Armistice.

To honour our nation’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service men and women, read some of their stories we have shared on Indigenous.gov.au:

Find out more

Visit the AWM website for more information about Remembrance Day and Four Country, for Nation.