The moving ceremony began with a Traditional Smoking Ceremony
to the sound of a didgeridoo in order to cleanse the area and bring peace as
school children placed wreaths in the water. Further wreaths were then laid by
RSL State President Mr Don Rowe and a number of MPs in memory of the thousands
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who served for Australia in World Wars I and II, Vietnam and Korea. Many of these diggers failed
to receive the recognition they deserved on their return. One coloured digger
said, “When you’re out there fighting for your life you find out that the
bullets don’t discriminate but when we came home we faced discrimination of the
highest order.”
Master of Ceremonies and ex-Naval submariner Mr David
Williams opened the ceremony with a powerful speech noting the Commemoration Service
as an important step towards reconciliation. He said, “I never thought I’d live
to see this day and am proud to be here amongst my people.”
A further address was made by Veteran Mr Harry Buckley who
commented that the service and sacrifice of the coloured diggers had not been
classified until now as they had not been considered as civilians of Australia. He
said, “The most tragic aspect is that it was after they returned to this
country that they were shunned, their sacrifice ignored and families oppressed
even further by State and Federal Governments.”
Mr Don Rowe has pledged to make the memorial service an
annual event and recited The Ode. He pledged memory to the unaccounted for
Aboriginal diggers. He said, “We continue to pay our respects to them.”
Source: South Sydney
Herald July 2007 http://www.southsydneyherald.com.au/