On 25 April 2016, Australians, New Zealanders, friends and former foes, commemorated the 101st landing at Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I as well as the fallen in other international conflicts. This year marks 100 years since the beginning of campaigns on the Western Front in France. While many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples served, and continue to serve, in conflicts in foreign lands, their sacrifices in the defence of their own nations during the colonial frontier period are not officially recognised by the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, the Returned Soldiers League and other veterans’ and war widows’ organisations. A service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans of international conflicts is held every year at a bush site near the Australian War Memorial after the Dawn Service. At the main Anzac Day March, held in Canberra, beginning at 10.30am, First Peoples joined with supporters to commemorate those who fell in the conflicts that happened on the soil of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations from 1788 to c. 1941. As in previous years, the respectful, silent group was blocked from joining the main march by a barricade across Anzac Parade. In remembrance of those who gave their lives, or were injured, in the defence of their nations, the First Peoples hung a huge, long yellow banner, containing the dates and locations of more than 550 colonial frontier conflicts, over the barricade. This banner was created using research undertaken for this website. Read more and view images, of this now annual commemoration, on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1068005013271503.1073742004.340478969357448&type=3
LEST WE FORGET