Aboriginal Diggers did us proud

The Chairperson of the New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council, Bev Manton, has called on Aboriginal Australians to join in tomorrow's ANZAC Day celebrations and ceremonies to honour the service and sacrifices of all servicemen and women.

"Their service and sacrifice should never ever be diminished, forgotten or taken for granted."

While urging all Australians to pay tribute to those who have fought and died in all conflicts, Ms Manton called on non-Indigenous Australians to learn more about the significant contributions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans in all war and peace keeping operations."

"Few Australians are aware that Aboriginal people have served in every war that Australia has fought in since the Boer War."

"This contribution is not widely recognised, nor is the fact that until the early 1940s Aboriginal volunteers were often rejected on the basis of race. Yet still they applied - denying their culture where necessary."

"Ironically Aboriginal Diggers were eligible to die for their country but were unable to vote, earn equal wages, move off reserves or missions or even marry without permission," she said.

Ms Manton highlighted that an official Federal Government Register of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander war veterans - initiated in 2007 by the Department of Veterans Affairs - could finally document the significant numbers of Aboriginal veterans and thus highlight their remarkable contributions.

"Latest figures indicate that possibly as many as 1000 Aboriginal men and women served in the First World War and up to 4000 in the Second World War.  However, because they were not allowed to serve if they listed themselves as Aboriginal, most put down that they were Maoris or Pacific Islanders.

Ms Manton appealed to the Federal Government to speed up the process in establishing the Official Register and to also implement a greater awareness campaign for the Register within Aboriginal communities.

"Through information from Aboriginal veterans or a relative of a veteran we can finally learn of the numbers and deeds of our people who served in the Great War, in units in the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East in World War 2 or in Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia."

"This information would also help all Australians highlight and honour the contribution that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women, both living and deceased, have made to this great nation of ours."

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Further information: Peter Windsor        0400 554 603