Huge commitment but shame in return

CAPE Barren Island sent more men to WWI and WWII than any other town in Australia, per capita.

This response to Australia’s role in these wars was to make a statement that our Aboriginal men were as good as the non-Aboriginal men when threats to Australia were imminent.

It was also to seek inclusion to the same rights as Australian citizens.

My grandfather, my uncles and an aunty served in WWII, yet on their return, they were still marginalised from accessing all sorts of public services and social events.

This has changed, not through actions of goodwill from the Australian governments, but because Aboriginal people all over Australia facilitated the changes.

Nevertheless, Aboriginal communities and individuals continue to maintain their Anzac remembrance and mourning with the Australian mainstream community.

This is not easy when the governments are telling the world that it is OK to show no respect to Aborigines.

This is pushed into the world media each year when the governments make it clear that they will not change the date for Australia Day. The message is clear, and no matter that our people feel hurt to know we fought in Australia’s involvement in wars around the world, that our losses in the colonial wars are of no consequence to Australia.

With this dilemma in mind, we can but hope that one day in the future the whole of Australia can embrace us as full citizens — and that our losses in all wars in Australia’s history, including ours, will be respected across this nation.