The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Collection relating to the military service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during the South African (Boer) War, First World War, Second World War, Malayan Emergency, Korean War and Vietnam War. Collection compiled by Donald Milner Cameron AM while serving as Member of Parliament for Fadden and later Moreton, 1981-1987.
The collection contains lists of names, correspondence, phone messages, photographs, and press cuttings. The content of the correspondence is mixed. Many statements offer details about the service people, including ranks, units, period of service. Others give only names, some of which are partial. Other letters include anecdotes of service. From Wallet 5 of 7 onwards, the collection includes nominal rolls compiled from the material sent to Cameron. The material has not been arranged by date or content.
The collection identifies over 1,400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who served in Australia's armed forces.
The first known comprehensive list of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander srvice personnel was compiled c 1980 by Mr Don Cameron, then Federal Liberal MP for the Queensland seat of Fadden. He contacted every existing newspaper in Australia, inviting readers to supply any known details of Indigenous and Torres Strait Island people who had served in Australia's armed forces during any conflict, including the South African War. His effort was well-rewarded and in 1987, Mr Cameron donated his research documents to the Australian War Memorial. They provide an invaluable contribution to the acknowledgement of Indigenous and Torres Strait Island service to Australia.
Thesis "The relationship between Aborigines, Islanders and the Armed Forces in the Second World War". Examines the attitude of the services to Aboriginal and Torres Srait Islander enlistment, the role
'Torres Strait Lightening Fighter' was conceived as a triptych in series by Ellen Jose titled 'Black Digger Ghost Fighter'. It is both a commemorative portrait of her father's Pte "Gorie" Jose's wart
'For our Country' recognises the military service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is a space in which to commemorate their service in all conflicts in which Australia's military h
An unidentified member of Norforce, the regional force surveillance unit that draws on the knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to monitor and defend Australia's northern borders.
Service papers of Major Boucher relating to his service with the 2/12 Battalion in the Second World War; includes a list of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders servicemen and women.
Queensland Parliamentary Paper 19 of 1909, 'Regulations Under "The Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Acts, 1897 to 1901"'. The single-page document details an amendment to Q