Ngarrindjeri Anzacs, Raukkan
Australian War MemorialMore than 1,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people served their country in the First World War. They experienced the hardships of the battlefield and some paid the ultimate sacrifice.
When the First World War broke out, few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had full citizenship, preventing them from enlisting for military service.
Despite this, many went to great lengths to serve, changing their names and lying about their birth locations and nationality.
Among those who served were the Ngarrindjeri Anzacs – a group of 21 young Aboriginal men from Raukkan in South Australia who enlisted during the First World War. They made up around 20 percent of the population at the Raukkan Mission at the time.
Today, the Ngarrindjeri Anzacs are commemorated by their community on the Raukkan Aboriginal War Memorial and the Ngarrindjeri Anzacs plaque on Seymour Street in Narrung.
The Raukkan Church, which is featured on the Australian $50 note, contains a stained-glass window that honours the men from the community who served and died during the First World War.
- Australian War Memorial https://placesofpride.awm.gov.au/news/our-country-and-other-aboriginal-and-torr…
