Mildura Rural City Council in Victoria has long been pushing for a war memorial to specifically honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diggers, and it looks finally set to become a reality.
A recently announced grant from the Victorian State Government will mean plans can go ahead to develop the memorial.
The Council’s Aboriginal Action Committee (AAC) has been developing the design and is seeking feedback on the wording to be engraved on the new monument.
AAC Chairperson Norsiyah Mokak said the group had spent a lot of time working on the sentiment for the memorial, wanting to acknowledge the hardships faced by original Indigenous diggers, but also to look towards the future.
“It’s hard to imagine what it must have felt like for our World War I and World War II Aboriginal men and women, who enlisted to join the army at that time,” Ms Mokak said.
“They weren’t considered citizens, they had to often renounce their Aboriginality and then they went and did their duty just the same as any other soldier or nurse.
“They lived and died alongside their fellow white soldiers. However when they came home, they went back to a life of inequality and no recognition of their sacrifices.”
Over time, stories of the bravery and camaraderie of Indigenous diggers have slowly become known, however there are still very few War Memorials acknowledging their sacrifice.
“It’s fantastic that Mildura Rural City Council will be one of a very few regional cities to have a memorial such as this,” Arts and Culture portfolio Councillor Jill Joslyn said.
“Acknowledging the part our Aboriginal men and women played in granting us the freedoms we enjoy today is the very least we can do.”
The memorial will be made of solid granite and the AAC is seeking feedback on the proposed wording for the engraving.
