(images from Department of Defence)

With Operation Stabilise currently on in East Timor I personally know of atleast two Koori diggers in the Regular Army who are over there.  They both are from the Gold Coast - Tweed Heads area of N.S.W and Queensland.   Our thoughts and prayers out to them fellas and all the other Indigenous Diggers up there at the moment.

Today in the Australian Army, the highest proportion of Indigenous soldiers are found in the Northern Regional Force Surveillance Units (NRFSU), these being;

                    NORFORCE (North Force) based in the Northern Territory

                    Pilbara Regiment of Northern Western Australia

                    51 Far North Queensland Regiment (FNQR).

Charlie Company of 51 FNQR is based in the Torres Strait, they maintain the strong ties between the Torres Strait Islander communities and the Australian Army that were formed during the dark days of World War Two.

One very unique dance held by members of 51 FNQR is the "Steyr Dance" where they use the Australian Service Rifle, the F88 "Austeyr" in combination with a traditional based dance.  It is a special dance performed rarely.

I am one of about half a dozen Aboriginal diggers that of I know of in my Regiment (Royal New South Wales Regiment - Infantry).  I have been keeping a collection of articles and pictures in military magazines and the official Army newspaper.

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