You are here: Home / Media / Honour, recognition and respect – lest we forget

Honour, recognition and respect – lest we forget

Members of the RSL and Aboriginal diggers have honoured Indigenous veterans on May 31 at the Pool of Reflection at the Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park reports Claire Thompson in the July 2007 South Sydney Herald.

The moving ceremony began with a Traditional Smoking Ceremony to the sound of a didgeridoo in order to cleanse the area and bring peace as school children placed wreaths in the water. Further wreaths were then laid by RSL State President Mr Don Rowe and a number of MPs in memory of the thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who served for Australia in World Wars I and II, Vietnam and Korea. Many of these diggers failed to receive the recognition they deserved on their return. One coloured digger said, “When you’re out there fighting for your life you find out that the bullets don’t discriminate but when we came home we faced discrimination of the highest order.”

Master of Ceremonies and ex-Naval submariner Mr David Williams opened the ceremony with a powerful speech noting the Commemoration Service as an important step towards reconciliation. He said, “I never thought I’d live to see this day and am proud to be here amongst my people.”

A further address was made by Veteran Mr Harry Buckley who commented that the service and sacrifice of the coloured diggers had not been classified until now as they had not been considered as civilians of Australia. He said, “The most tragic aspect is that it was after they returned to this country that they were shunned, their sacrifice ignored and families oppressed even further by State and Federal Governments.”

Mr Don Rowe has pledged to make the memorial service an annual event and recited The Ode. He pledged memory to the unaccounted for Aboriginal diggers. He said, “We continue to pay our respects to them.”

Source: South Sydney Herald July 2007 http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/