Aboriginal Soldiers

Despite the blatant discrimination they faced at home, around a thousand Aboriginal volunteers joined with European Australians in fighting in support of the British Empire during the First World War. They served in a range of capacities, mostly in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), where they were treated equally to their fellow soldiers. Marion Leane Smith, a nurse, is the only Indigenous woman known to have served in that war. On their return to Australia, they once again faced discrimination and inequality on the basis of race. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people served in colonial defence forces, and in all conflicts since the colonies joined together to become Australia in 1901. Aboriginal men served as troops and trackers in the Boer War. Around a thousand served in the First World War, though this number is constantly being revised. Many servicemen did not identify as Aboriginal, and the identities of some are still being discovered.

Initially, Aboriginal people were restricted from joining up, because they were ‘not substantially of European origin or descent’. Many were able to skirt this regulation by claiming to be of Italian or Maori descent, or simply by knowing people who could help them to bend the rules.

From 1917, as the number of casualties increased, Aboriginal people with one European parent were permitted to enlist, though the language used to formalise this change demonstrates the attitudes of the time:

‘Half-castes may be enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force provided that the examining Medical Officers are satisfied that one of the parents is of European origin.’

Their reasons for joining were many and varied. For some, it was the chance for a job at equal pay, or an opportunity for adventure and overseas travel. Others may have enlisted to protect the traditional lands of their Aboriginal nations. At the time, Aboriginal people were not counted in the census as Australian citizens, and experienced inequality in most aspects of their lives, including not being permitted to vote.

During their military service, however, most Aboriginal men were treated equally with their non-Indigenous comrades. On the battlefield, where their lives were threatened daily, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal men faced the same challenges. ‘The colour line was never drawn in the trenches.’ Like other Australian servicemen, Aboriginal men were wounded, killed and taken prisoner.

On their return to Australia, the majority of Aboriginal ex-servicemen were faced with a society that was still heavy with discrimination. Wages or pensions were quarantined in some states, and some Aboriginal ex-servicemen were denied military funerals when they died. Only a handful were granted a soldier settlement block, and in many cases, the land given to white soldier settlers was traditional land or land carved up from Aboriginal missions. Returned and Services League (RSL) branches were inconsistent in their treatment of Aboriginal veterans, with some allowing them to be members, some restricting their participation to Anzac Day only, and some not allowing them in at all.

Aboriginal people, including an increasing number of women, enlisted again during the Second World War. And again they experienced equality while they were serving and discrimination when they returned home. Things have slowly improved over subsequent conflicts.

Despite the discrimination experienced by Indigenous veterans in the aftermath of their service, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been described as Australia’s first equal opportunity employer. Here, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people consistently worked side by side. The Department of Defence launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan in 2007, and in 2017 Indigenous veterans led the national Anzac Day march in Canberra for the first time.

It is difficult to say exactly how many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have served in the Australian military, as those joining up were not asked about their background in this regard prior to 1980. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people currently represent 2.7 per cent of the ADF.