Remembering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service

The memorial plaque was installed in 1993, as part of the "United Nations Year of Indigenous People" by local residents Michael and Honor Thwaites. Since then, it has been the site for regular ceremonies; in particular, on ANZAC Day and during NAIDOC week. Today this site holds deep significance, both local and national, as a focal point for commemorating the Indigenous Australian experience of war in the armed forces. 

Despite enlistment restrictions, at least 800 Aboriginals or Torres Strait Islanders served in the First World War, and at least 3,500 served in the Second World War. As the records of the armed forces have never identified service personnel by race, we will never know the real number of Indigenous people who have served their country in time of war.