On September 3, 1939 Prime Minister, Robert Gordon Menzies, declared the commencement of Australia's involvement in the Second World War on every national and commercial radio station. From 1942 until early 1944, Australian forces, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders played a key role in the Pacific War forming the majority of Allied strength throughout the South West Pacific. Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders affected Australia’s World War Two efforts in their extended volunteering and willingness to fight and die in the war. Aboriginal people were a crucial part of defending the Australian home front, in which they had limited or no rights. Many experienced equal treatment to white Australians for the first time in their …show more content…
lives in the army. There was a strong racist belief against aboriginal people and this can be shown in he cultural effects of WW1 and its change leading up to or during WW2 and what changed after the war including rights and culture. Australian aboriginal people were a vital part of the defence on the home front of Australia. Australian Aboriginals did not believe in fighting overseas and were very hesitant to fight in another country but were ready to fight in there own backyard. This aligns with their cultural beliefs as they had a strong association with their own tribal land. Australian Aboriginals have a rich and meaningful history and have a cultural attachment to the land, which they were willing to fight and die for. The Australian defence force relied upon this together with promises of full citizenship rights after the war. Historian Dr. Peter Londey reported from his investigations on Australian defence archives that Aboriginals were promised full citizenship at the completion of the war. This was used as an inducement to secure Aboriginal volunteers in the war effort. The Australian Aboriginals were ready to fight and die for their country. “I never fought for anybody but Australia. I was always loyal to my country” (Lt Reg Saunders, an Aboriginal soldier of WW2, 2009) This man’s ambition to fight for his county was not one off as in one statement (Dick Bligh, WW2 war veteran, 2012) says, “I was ready, I was ready to fight and die”. This shows his and other aboriginal solders willingness to support the Australian defence force and appears contrary to their beliefs that they were ready fight and die for a country which they had no rights (John Schnaars, 2012). This was not the first time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were ready to fight and perish for their country. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders volunteered to fight in World War One. 1000 Indigenous soldiers fought in the First World War and many experienced equal treatment for the first time in their lives.
Nevertheless, upon return to civilian life, many found they were treated with the same or harsher prejudice and discrimination as before. Fighting in another country in a war that does not affect them and completely against their culture and moral beliefs. It seems that the effects and the Aboriginal contribution of WW1 had a negative effect when they came back home and this was still evident at the start of WW2. When the war began in 1914, many Indigenous Australians tried to enlist but were rejected on the fact of their colour and race, but some simply snuck through. By October 1917, when recruits were rare and one conscription referendum had already failed, restrictions were eased back. A new Military Order stated: "Half-castes may be enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force provided that the examining Medical Officers are satisfied that one of the parents is of European origin." (Peter Londey, 2013). The repression of Indigenous Australians increased between the wars and protection acts gave government officials greater authority over Indigenous Australians. Australian Aboriginals had a positive contribution in World War One but this in turn had a negative effect on their culture and the way they were
respected. The post World War Two period was a very tense time between Aboriginals and the Australian government with Indigenous soldiers coming back from the war and wanting full citizenship rights as they were promised. This did not have a profound effect as the Indigenous Australians who fought for their country came back much the same discrimination as previous to the war. For example, many were barred from Returned and Services League clubs, except on Anzac Day. Many of them were not given the right to vote for another 17 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders contributed greatly to the war effort in WW2 in many ways. They volunteered in WW1 and felt the effects, or non-effects of its change leading up to or during WW2 and. One thing that did change was the rights and culture after the war. Australian aboriginal people were a vital part of the defence on the home front of Australia and were willing to fight and die for their country.
When war broke out in 1914, the Australian Government raised the first Australian Imperial Force for overseas service. The nurses to staff the medical units, which formed an integral part of the AIF, were recruited from the Australian Army Nursing Service Reserve and from the civil nursing profession.
War is what keeps a nation from dying, it is the backbone of a country. This is the shown throughout the course of World War I, also known as “the war to end all wars.” World War I started in the summer of 1914. Archduke Francis Ferdinand, from the Austro – Hungarian Empire was visiting Bosnia. He was shot, along with his wife, Sofia, by a young man from the Black Hand, Gavrillo Princip. What were the three main factors that started World War I? There were three main underlying causes that started World War I: greed, nationalism, and militarism.
Aboriginal soldiers returned to their country where they had no citizenship rights, controlled by the government policies which prevented them from living in towns, socialising with other Australians and voting. This is evident in phrases such as, “He returned to the outback, no mates did he find. If he had a beer he was jailed and then fined,” and, “Confused and alone he wandered around, Looking for work though none could be found. The Anzac marches he badly neglected, Would show to his comrades how he was rejected.” This informs the reader about how the Aboriginal soldiers did not receive the same benefits as the European soldiers did, even though they made the same sacrifices during the
Prime Minister Robert Menzies was a believer in the need for ‘great and powerful friends’ and the idea of ‘forward defence’. Before the 1949 federal election, Menzies campaigned on the representation of the Labor Party as out of touch with Australia’s postwar ambitions. He was aided by Chifley’s willpower to cover union wage stresses and control increase. Predominantly injuring for Labor was a Communist-led coal strike in New South Wales, and the government’s practice of troops to
In summary, Australian society experienced a phenomenal change during the World War II era upon consideration of women’s roles. The contribution to World War II made by women was significant. They took part in every opportunity that arose, which shows the desperation of change that women wanted. The government’s support for women to work outside their traditional gender expectations, the chance for women to achieve more knowledge with regards to military, the creation of the Women’s Land Army and voluntary work all play a major role in changing the social status and working lives of women. World War II expanded the roles of women in Australian society in ways that were thought to be ridiculous. In short, the role of women in Australian society changed phenomenally during the World War II era.
Australia (as a counry) felt a loyalty towards the 'mother country', Britaain and that the war would be a good opportunity to improve Ausrtalia's international reputation. Many individual Australians also joined the war for a variety of reasons. Some felt a strong loyalty to Britain who had supported Australia, and now, they felt, was the time for them to 'do their bit'. Others enlsted simply to prove they were brave enough to fight, but some enlisted because their friends had. Some simply enlisted because they needed a job, pay, and regular meals, but many enlisted in the army for an adventure, not knowing the true horrors of war. Private A.J. McSparrow (former railway worker from Parramatta, NSW), was one of the many men whwo enlisted because he felt that it was his duty to support the 'mother country' ..."I have (enlisted) ... and I don't regret it in the very least. I believe that it is every young fellow's duty" and "... we are the sort of men who should go."Private Antill enlisted because he needed the money, clothes and food and also because it was easier work than cabinet making ..."I tell you what I have just joined the Australan army ... it's not bad money here 5/- a day and clothes and food that's nearly as good as cabinet making and not half as hard."Lieutenant D.G. Armstrong (former bank clerk from Kyneton, Victoria), thought that the war would be great opportunity to prove his strength and to show that he was not a coward..."I am going to have a try for the war ... I think I ought to go, they want all they can get and ... I think it's the greatest opportunity for a chap to make a man of himself, those that come back from this war will be men of the right sort that anybody would be proud of.
Over the five years following the war, about 171,000 immigrants came to Australia. The government introduced the assisted passage scheme which gave immigrants temporary accommodation in Australia in exchange for two years of labour. Most immigrants came from places such as Poland, Yugoslavia and the Baltic States and then later Germany, Grease, Italy and Malta. The immigrant families were placed in old army barracks in severely poor conditions, and exposed to racial discrimination. They were often referred to with names such as ‘wogs’, ‘bolt’ and’ reffo’. Families were separated. Men were sent off to work on things such as t...
In World War 1 (WW1), 1914-1918, Australian troops became involved in order to give support to the "Mother Country". Great Britain only became involved after Germany did not respect the neutrality of Belgium. In the first world war, Australian soldiers participated in some of the bloodiest and most enduring battles known to man, and soon developed a courageous name for themselves. Of the 330 000 Aussie soldiers who took part in WW1, there were 211 500 casualties and over 60 000 deaths, a casualty rate much higher than that of several other participants.
Throughout the history of Canada the indigenous population of the country have been voiceless. They have been both suppressed and oppressed by the Federal and various Provincial governments within Canada. Many organizations tried to provide a voice for the native population but failed in their attempt. These organizations eventually merged together to become what is now known as The Assembly of First Nations. The Assembly of First Nations gives voice to the issues and problems facing the different components of the aboriginal community in Canada.
Aboriginals have lived various types of lives and in attempt to improve the lives of Canada’s Aboriginal people formed the Aboriginal self-government. Developing self-government for aboriginal peoples living in urban areas was not easy. The form of self-government varied across the country depending on the factors in each area or region. Some cities had existing aboriginal organizations providing a good basis upon which to build which made the self-government an easier thing to make. Despite the many challenges, self-government for aboriginal peoples living in urban areas is a concept that can be realized and can contribute to meeting the needs and aspirations of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. Since the formation, the self-government has accomplished
Why are terms such as Aboriginal peoples, American Indian, Indian, Indigenous Peoples, First Nations and Native American all used to describe the original inhabitants of North and South America? Why are some of these terms considered controversial? What terms to you feel are most appropriate, and why?
The education of Aboriginal people is a challenge that has been a concern for many years and is still an issue. However, it remains the best way young people can climb out of poverty. With the colonialization and the oppression of Aboriginals, there have been many lasting side effects that continue to be affecting the Aboriginal youth today. “While retention and graduation rates have improved among urban Aboriginal population, an educational gap still remains between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth in urban settings” (Donovan, 127). Many suffer from a diminished self-worth, as they do not feel valued and feel inferior to their classmates. In this essay I am going to outline the reasons Aboriginals are struggling, discuss what is being done
Australia’s Indigenous people are thought to have reached the continent between 60 000 and 80 000 years ago. Over the thousands of years since then, a complex customary legal system have developed, strongly linked to the notion of kinship and based on oral tradition. The indigenous people were not seen as have a political culture or system for law. They were denied the access to basic human right e.g., the right to land ownership. Their cultural values of indigenous people became lost. They lost their traditional lifestyle and became disconnected socially. This means that they were unable to pass down their heritage and also were disconnected from the new occupants of the land.
Key events in Aboriginal Australian history stem from the time Australia was first discovered in 1788. For instance, when Federation came into existence in 1901, there was a prevailing belief held by non Aboriginal Australians that the Aborigines were a dying race (Nichol, 2005:259) which resulted in the Indigenous people being excluded from the constitution except for two mentions – Section 127 excluded Aborigines from the census and Section 51, part 26, which gave power over Aborigines to the States rather than to the Federal Government. Aboriginal people were officially excluded from the vote, public service, the Armed Forces and pensions. The White Australia mentality/policy Australia as “White” and unfortunately this policy was not abolished until 1972. REFERENCE
Yes, World War One was a tragedy. Yes, millions of lives were lost. Yes, the Aborigines’ efforts in the war have gone unappreciated for about a century... but, given the sheer difference in numbers between the white and Aboriginal soldiers, I think it’s just as important to remember to keep everything in perspective.