Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

For the celebrations, I attended a number of services in which we recalled and remembered those who have given of their lives and sacrificed during the different wars and campaigns but in particular Gallipoli and our establishment in the minds of all Australians as the point which our military forces grew from even though it was a great defeat.

When we think about it, 100 years ago a bullet from an assassin's gun sparked a war that ignited the globe, and at Anzac Cove, as dawn approached on 25 April, the first wave of men, composed of the units of the 3rd Australian Brigade, comprising three infantry battalions made up of men from Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia, reached the beach in half light. They were sighted, and bullets began hitting the boats, killing some and wounding others. As men launched themselves out of the boats and struggled ashore, soaking wet and weighed down by their rifles and sodden packs, some leapt into the deep water, where they drowned.

Over a period of time we have looked at the history of campaigns, but a very particular project was initiated in Western Australia by the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, and I want to cover those Indigenous servicemen who served not only at Gallipoli but in other campaigns. In the book that they have produced, They Served with Honour: Untold Stories of Western Australian Aboriginal Servicemen at Gallipoli, they acknowledge 13 Western Australian Aboriginal servicemen who served at Gallipoli. One was wounded, died on a hospital ship and was buried at sea. The others all went on to other campaigns in the Western Front. But I think the thing that is important that I want to capture is the essence of feeling that the book has aroused in people who have read it. When I read the 13 stories, my wife said to me, 'So what'd you think?' and I could not say much, because I had a lump in my throat. It is a part of history that we often did not cover or talk about.

Thirteen served at Gallipoli. The 119 who sought to serve in World War I were as follows. Sixty-nine served overseas. Nine died from wounds received while serving in France. One died of wounds at Gallipoli and is buried at sea, and that was James Dickerson. Two died from pneumonic influenza when their ship was returning to Australia after the war had ended. Two received posthumous military medals. Twenty-three were rejected as 'not of sufficient European descent'. Eighteen were rejected on medical grounds. Six were rejected as other, including 'on leave and did not return', and three did not enlist but served at the home front as transport signalmen at Guildford depot in the naval reserve. What is interesting, when you look at those figures, is that at the time Australia had in place a number of acts which covered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In the 1905 act, there was a requirement that the native protector would have to give permission. The other thing they disobeyed in enlisting was the Defence Act No. 37 of 1910, an act to amend the Defence Act. Under section 61 it says:

The following shall be exempt from service in time of war, so long as the employment, condition, or status on which the exemption is based continues …

Aboriginal servicemen and Aboriginal people were:

Persons who are not substantially of European origin or descent, of which the medical authorities appointed under the Regulation shall be the judge.

So when they went to enlist they were judged as to whether they had sufficient European blood in them.

Often there was in The Camp Chronicle a listing of the discharges. There were 16 rejections on Thursday, February 17, 1916. Of the 16 rejections, 14 were Aboriginal. Later, in the Bunbury Herald, a decision which had been made was published accordingly:

As there is some uncertainty as to the enlistment of half-castes, the following particulars from head quarters are interesting. In all cases for particulars as to the intending recruit must be forwarded to head quarters, for approval, before enlistment will be authorised. While it is not desirable to alter the regulations to expressly permit the investment in the A.I.F. of half-castes, the Department will countenance their enlistment in cases where in the opinion of the District Commandant, they are suitable. There are usual two cases. The first is that of men who mixed all their life with white people, and copied their ways. The other is that of the man who has lived all his life with his full blooded brother. The former might be suitable for enlistment, but the latter would certainly not be suitable. A good guide is to bear in mind that these people have to live with white men, and share the same huts, and the inclusion in the force of any applicant for enlistment may be judged from this stand-point: whether his inclusion will cause dissatisfaction to his mates.

Even against that background, they still chose to enlist in significant numbers and to serve their country. Even breaking the laws in the two acts that existed did not deter them; many found ways of enlisting. I want to talk about two in particular who feature in this book.

James Melbourne was a talented sportsmen who excelled in a number of sports. Jimmy was the first Aboriginal person to play Australian Rules football in the state league representing West Perth in 1900. He also played for South Fremantle and West Perth. He enlisted in the AIF and his contribution to Gallipoli and the campaign was significant.

The other element in all of this is that these men served with honour. They participated and fought for their country. But, if you ever go and see the show Black Diggers, what you will see is a depiction of what happened when they returned. When they returned from Gallipoli they were not treated as other servicemen were. The equality they experienced within the AIF dissipated and they were no longer welcome. They were not served in bars. They were not allowed to join RSL clubs, but that has changed over the years. The important aspect to all of that is that Black Diggers showed a part of our history that epitomised the racist position and views that were strongly held. Even with all of that, they decided that their contribution to their country was worth it.

And Aboriginal men and women have continued to join the military forces based on that Anzac tradition and spirit of collegiality. As Ken Colbung, who served in Vietnam, once said to me: 'It was the time that I was an equal. I was treated the same as all others. There was no difference in skin colour—it was about being a comrade and a fellow in arms.'

I would recommend to anybody they take the opportunity and the time to read They Served With Honour. It can be found on the Department of Aboriginal Affairs website. The stories are all unique. They have brought together people in a way that is of significant interest. They have brought together Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members of families. They have shown the way in which their contributions are valued and how, even in their tribulations, they never wavered from being proud of the fact they served their nation—although their treatment on their return was not up to the expectations they had. There are some incredible stories of love and passion. There are those who died in poverty, whose service was never known in their communities. There are towns where, when you look at the graveyards, there are veterans of Gallipoli there.

I would hope that, over time, every story of every Aboriginal servicemen is told so it forms part of the tapestry of the history of this nation. Given its origins, commenced at Gallipoli, I am proud that one of the servicemen who served there was a relative of mine and that he was part of the history that was forged for this nation, in the way we view our historical defeat and the way in which we value what our services gave and continued to contribute.

I want to share with you one story, if time permits: the story of Charles Hutchins. I will read his granddaughter's comments:

Enlisting in the AIF in Bunbury on 5 March 1915 and within 24 hours Charles had commenced his training at the Blackboy Hill depot at Greenmount Hill. On 9 June 1915 he embarked on the HMAT Ascanius at Fremantle along with Larry and Lewis Farmer and James Dickerson arriving in Cairo on 2 July. Landing at Gallipoli on 4 September Charles was involved in a defensive action and, seven weeks later, was admitted to hospital at ANZAC Cove suffering from debility and typhoid. He was later hospitalised with trench fever and was returned to the front line in Belgium, where he was discharged. On 20 September 1917 Charles sustained near-fatal gunshot wounds to his thigh, leg and arm. He was also severely affected by mustard gas. With his life in the balance, he was transferred to No. 3 General Hospital in Boulogne where his condition was so serious that he received Holy Communion.

He was evacuated to London and during his time convalescing Charles met Rose, a voluntary worker whom he married in March 1919 while absent from leave from his base and he was penalised forty-eight days' pay. Charles died in August 1952 in Kogarah, NSW, aged 59. His ashes were returned to WA and are scattered with those of his wife in the Swan River.

At the launch of the book, his granddaughter, Diane Brown, had this to say:

My grandfather, Charles Hutchins, is one of the Aboriginal ANZACs being commemorated in this book. His war service is well documented. In short, he served in Gallipoli, England, France and finally Belgium.

…   …   …

Discrimination can cross oceans as well as cultures. Even in England, Charles was considered to be a 'foreigner or native: not a British subject' by some. He went absent without leave for 24 days, persuaded her father to give permission and they were married. That meant he missed his ship back to Australia and was fined 48 days' pay.

Diane went on to say:

He never spoke of his background, childhood or war service. It was easier for him to say he was an orphan from Busselton and grew up in care. Life after the war was a daily struggle for Rose, Charles and their daughter Marjorie. His injuries had left him broken and unable to do heavy physical work, but still he struggled on for the sake of the family.

Charles refused to apply for a war pension or other benefits that were available to disabled veterans. He was proud and said 'they' did nothing for him after the war and he would take nothing from 'them'.

  …   …   …

Charles Hutchins was an Aboriginal Anzac, son of Annie Harris and Charles Hutchins, a bush worker from Busselton. His ancestors' names and his story are now written in this book, along with stories of others that deserve to be told.

Diane went on to say:

If Pop had lived longer, I could have told him what I have learnt. The shade of his skin should not have controlled his life and made him a target to be moulded into a society that didn't fully support him on his return to Australia. Children should be supported and not taken and isolated solely for that reason. Aboriginality is about kinship and connection to country.

Her pride in discovering that her grandfather was an Aboriginal Anzac was a moment of significant emotion. Even the minister for Aboriginal affairs, Peter Collier, indicated to me that he had a tear in his eye and he did not realise the extent of the commitment made to the Anzac landing, nor the Great War, in respect of the numbers of Aboriginal people who served their nation and their country.

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