2010 Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture
'Unsung Heroes'
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders' service in the Australian Defence Force
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Mr Gary Oakley
Indigenous Liaison Officer, Australian War Memorial
Gary Oakley is from the Gundungurra people and was born in Katoomba, NSW, where his long connection with the Australian Defence Force started when he joined the school Cadet Corps in his first year at Katoomba High School. Gary's family moved to Canowindra where he went to school until 1969, when he joined the Royal Australian Navy at age 1 5 as a Junior Recruit and trained at HMAS Leeuwin in Fremantle, WA. His first sea draft in the RAN was HMAS Duchess and his second was HMAS Sydney, a troop transport on which he served to ferry equipment and soldiers to Vietnam throughout 1970 and 1971. Gary's naval career spanning over 21 years led him to a new professional role with the Australian War Memorial, where he has worked since 1991 becoming curator of the Memorial's new galleries. In 2009 he was appointed as the War Memorial's first Indigenous Liaison Officer.
A member of the Navy Reserve for over 10 years, Gary has worked on documenting and researching naval history. Through the Reserve he assists Indigenous Affairs-Australian Defence Force in its Indigenous Pre Recruitment Courses as well as travelling to communities to speak to Indigenous youth about careers in the Defence Force. Gary is National President of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Service Association of Australia (ATSIVSAA). In his commitment to honouring and remembering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Australian Defence Force, Gary has also appeared in several documentaries featuring their contributions to Australia through military service.
Venue: Oorala Aboriginal Centre, University of New England
ANTar Newsletter Review – Dec 2010
More than 100 people gathered at Me Oorala Centre at 7.30pm on Thursday 9 September to hear GaryOakley talk with enthusiasm about his own life and 21 year naval career which led to his present position of Indigenous Liaison Officer at the Australian War Memorial.
Gary was introduced and welcomed by Pro-Vice Chancellor (Students and Social Inclusion) Ms Eve Woodberry. Ms Mavis Ahoy delivered the Welcome to Country and acknowledged Archibald family members.
Gary was born in Katoomba, NSW and is from the Gundungurra people. He spoke very frankly about his own path to where he now finds himself: proudly and strongly identifying as an Aboriginal person and committed to seeking acknowledgement of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who served their country in times of war in many and varied roles.
Image: Gary Oakley with Mrs Hazel Green, Acting Director of Oorala, Michael Brogan, Mrs Grace Munro, Mrs Grace Gordon and UNE Vice Chancellor, Jim Barber, after the lecture.
Many in the audience were shocked to realize that despite service in all wars that Australia has engaged in - dating from the 19th century Boer and Sudan Wars — it was not usual for the names of Indigenous servicemen to appear on memorials around this country. We were reminded too that having served their country, soldiers returning from the World Wars were not permitted to vote or to have a drink with their mates in the local hotel.
Gary traced the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement with the armed forces since white settlement. A fascinating series of photographs showed service commencing soon after settlement: the first being a member of the NSW Rifle Regiment. More recent photos included poet and activist Kath Walker (Oodgeroo Noonuccal) in uniform, the first Indigenousfighter pilot Glenn Waters and members of the Lovatt family, who hold the record asthe largest family group of people serving in the Army in the Commonwealth of Nations.
The record of Indigenous-service includes two Distinguished Conduct Medals and 12 Military Medals.
Gary suggested that the history of aboriginal involvement has been one of people going to serve alongside other Australians and then coming home and quietly disappearing back into the community in a modest, self-effacing manner and often with a chip on their shoulders. He urged members of the Aboriginal community to proudly stand up and say what they have done, and are now doing.
Gary said at present there are records of approximately 1,000 Aboriginal/TS! people who served in the 1st World War and 3,500 in the 2nd. These numbers increase every day as more people send in information about family members who served. He was delighted that his trip to Armidale had already produced information about individuals previously not recorded at the War Memorial Museum.
Gary credits his joining the Australian Defence Force at age 15 with giving him the training which has led to the many opportunities he has had in his life. He said the big attraction for him was the uniform - he loved uniforms from the scouts onwards. These days he assists Indigenous Affairs- Australian Defence Force with its indigenous Pre-Recruitment courses and travels to communities to speak to indigenous youth about careers in the Defence Force. He spoke enthusiastically of the Australian Defence Force as an ‘equal opportunity employer’.
In addition Gary is the National President of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Service Association of Australia.
His work at the Australian War Memorial involves a lot of research: interesting examples were for the television program “Who Do You Think You Are?” Gary was involved with the research into the defence force service of relatives of both Cathy Freeman and Christine Anu.
Returning to the theme of ‘Unsung Heroes’ Gary paid particular tribute to the 3,500 recruits in the North of Australia in the 1930’s who were invaluable support workers for the Australian Army. Few of these names are recorded. He also mentioned the hospital orderlies, Melville Island sailors andspecial intelligence trackers. He showed a photograph of the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion whose members were not paid the same wage as other soldiers because it was assumed they could live more cheaplyoff the land!
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber thanked Gary on behalf of everyone present and acknowledged him as a ‘master story-teller’.
