Coloured Digger Project thanks Damien Minton Gallery

“It is an honour and privilege to bring great contemporary Australian artists together with the local community as part of the Coloured Digger Project and to make this contribution to future ANZAC Day events in Redfern,” Damien Minton said.

The Damien Minton Gallery raised the $4,000 donation from its own commission on sales of work by the 42 artists who exhibited in the Coloured Digger II exhibition held at the gallery from April 23 to May 10 this year as part of the Redfern ANZAC Day program of events.

“The Redfern ANZAC Day events allow the local community to properly honour, recognise and pay respect to the service and sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diggers,” said Redfern ANZAC Day march Coordinator, Pastor Ray Minniecon.

“The coming together of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-indigenous people through the Redfern ANZAC Day march, service and other events is an affirmation of community, family and mateship. It is not a celebration of war and violence.

“We are enormously grateful to the Damien Minton Gallery for this generous contribution.

“The Redfern ANZAC Day march Steering Committee relies on donations and in-kind support every year. It is always a big struggle to find funding,” Pastor Ray Minniecon said.

The Redfern ANZAC Day march has also prompted calls by NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Diggers and their families for a commemorative sculpture or memorial recognising their service and sacrifice. A sculpture design prepared by renowned bronze sculptor Antony Symons and supported by the Steering Committee can be viewed at the Redfern Community Centre.

Ray Minniecon is seeking the community’s advice on both the sculpture proposal and whether the Redfern march should continue to be held on ANZAC Day or whether it should be moved to another day to avoid conflict with the main Sydney ANZAC Day events.

The Coloured Digger Project takes its name from a WWII poem “The Coloured Digger” written about an Aboriginal soldier by one of his non-indigenous comrades.

Photo: Ray Minniecon and Damien Minton

Source: South Sydney Herald December 2008 www.southsydneyherald.com.au