AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL DIGGERS LINKS
COLLECTING INSTITUTIONS
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's major military heritage institute. They conserve, interpret and commemorate the Australian experience of war since 1901. I highly recommend you check out their databases, especially the Roll of Honour and photographic ones.
Located in Canberra is the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, they are the premier collecting body dealing exclusively with Indigenous Australian studies, from pre-history to contact to colonialism to contemporary they have it all.
Also in Canberra is Australian Defence Force Academy Library. I have been there many times to check out their excellent collection of military heritage books and publications when the Australian War Memorial's research centre was closed for renovations recently.
An huge collection of official Government files and information collected since Federation is stored at the National Archives of Australia (AA). This is the mob that you write away to, to get your family member's military record from World War One. This costs $15 but believe me, its money well worth spent.
GOVERNMENT BODIES
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission are the International organisation who care for and maintain Australian War graves both here and abroad. If you had a relative die for Australia in war this century, check out their site and get some information on where they are buried, its a really good resource.
Homepage of the Department of Defence. You will find links to Army, Airforce and Navy sites along with images, recruitment information and news from our forces in East Timor.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is the government body behind the adminstration and care of our veterans today. They have the "Their Service is our Heritage" program, basically a community 'outreach' program to increase the knowledge and understanding of our collective sacrifice in war this century. Give 'em a buzz and get YOUR community involved!!
PUBLICATIONS
The Koori Mail Newspaper is the most read Indigenous publication in Australia, it is published on a fortnightly basis and it has heaps of great reading. To search their extensive collection of articles, go to the State Library of N.S.W's INFOKOORI database. I have come across many interesting articles dealing with our military heritage there.
WEBSITES
The Australian National Aboriginal History and Heritage Council are an organisation set on preserving and honouring our history, our greatest 'win' so far is the reclaimation of the 1938 Day of Mourning site in Sydney. I am the Academic Liasion Officer for the Canberra region.
One of the daughters of the late Warrant Officer Leonard "Black Magic" Waters, Aunty Kim Orchard has published this fantastic website detailing her fathers honoured service as Australia's only World War Two Fighter pilot. Please drop by this site, the images here are absolutely astounding.
A good friend of mine Steve Conway has the best website dealing with Australians at War, it covers almost every single aspect since 1788 including the contact and post contact period - which the Australian War Memorial refuses to touch.
A moving website about an Aboriginal Vietnam War veteran, by his non-Aboriginal mate. "Goodbye Cobber".
Many Aboriginal men from country towns and outback stations joined the Light Horse in World War One. The memory of the Light horse is kept alive on the web today with the The Light Horse Association Ltd.
One of the premier sites dealing with the Great War is World War I - Trenches on the Web. They have an excellent discussion forum where people can ask questions and discuss matters and events dealing with the "war to end all wars".
INTERNATIONAL
A bibliography of the famous Navajo Indian code-talkers from World War Two.
The Department of Veterans Affairs in Canada has an absolutely SUPERB website detailing the service and sacrifice of Indigenous Canadians in World War One, Two and the Korean War. The website is called "Native Soldiers, Foreign Battlefields". Here you will find practically the SAME STORY of maltreatment of Indigenous servicemen and rights after their high sacrifice in World War One and many other issues. This site is a MUST SEE.
More fantastic Canadian sites, again these are MUST SEE!!! . . National Aboriginal Veterans Association (NAVA).
Yet, again the Canucks are leaps ahead of us with this website "National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation"
They have so much in common with us it's not funny. . .
Acknowledgement and appreciation of our servicemen and women in war - Veterans treatment upon returning. .lack of citizen and human rights. .lack of support by Government bodies - the list goes on. I think we'll just have to have a meeting with this mob ;)