Indigenous veterans: Sites2See. Centre for Learning Innovation

Indigenous veterans

General history

Please be aware that this page may link to resources that contain the names, images and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may now be deceased.

The struggle for equality for Indigenous Australians was long and slow through the twentieth century, while thousands of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders fought and many died for their country.

The Australian War Memorial (AWM) encyclopedia gives a concise recount of the Indigenous military experience, while the site Indigenous Australians at War presents a more personal perspective. The AWM resource book Too Dark for the Light Horse (.pdf 611 kB) has plenty of detail and a series of primary sources and activities.

The Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalian. Photo by Lieutenant Norman  Bradford Stuckey, November 1945. Public domain image

Acknowledging the role of Indigenous military service and comparing that with the treatment of Aboriginal peoples at home are themes of this short ANZAC Day video (YouTube, requires teacher access). The ABC’s Message Stick gives greater depth to these issues in transcripts for the programs ‘The Forgotten’ and ‘Lest We Forget’.

Image of soldier form ANZAC Day video, linked to page

In recent years, long overdue recognition has been paid to Indigenous veterans. The Headstone project, managed by an Aboriginal Vietnam War veteran, aims to restore dignity to 400 ‘forgotten’ soldiers. In Sydney, this ceremony (see photo) acknowledges the contribution of Australia’s Indigenous armed forces.

28 May 2010. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association conduct a ceremony to recognise and honour the contribution of their veterans in the defence of Australia, at ANZAC Memorial in Hyde Park Sydney.

Case studies

Camp Casey, South Korea. March 1953. Informal portrait of Private Steve Dodd, an Aboriginal Serviceman of First Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), standing with fellow soldiers

Private Steve Dodd, South Korea, March 1953

Harry Thorpe was one of about 400 Indigenous Australians who volunteered for World War I. Find out more about Harry Thorpe by examining his military record. A generation later the most decorated Aboriginal soldier was Reg Saunders who fought in both World War II and the Korean War. Also serving in Korea was Private Steve Dodd who would later pursue a distinguished acting career.

Indigenous units

During World War II the Aboriginal Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit had a unique function in warning of Japanese attacks. It still operates today. The Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion were also involved in the northern defence of Australia.

Activities

Complete a brief biography of Harry Thorpe using his military record. Thorpe was one of 60, 000 Australians who did not return from World War I. Indigenous soldiers who did come home were ‘welcomed’ by the same discrimination that existed before the war. 

This timeline contrasts some of the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the First and Second World Wars with their treatment by military and civilian authorities in mid-twentieth century Australia.

Reg Saunders was one person who fought not only his enemies on the battlefield but also the stereotyped attitudes towards Aboriginal people. Complete this quiz about his life.

To complete your study of Indigenous military history, consider these discussion points.

Syllabus links

The resources linked from this Sites2See provide students with the opportunity to work toward the following outcomes taken from the NSW History 7-10 Syllabus (.pdf 435 kB).

A Delicious list of further resources related to the topic of Aboriginal Veterans

Send us links to other materials on the subject of Aboriginal veterans so that they can be added to the Delicous list (left) or added to the Sites2See page when it is next updated.

Bookmarking for NSW DET teachers