Defending country : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander military service since 1945 / Noah Riseman and Richard Trembath.
Publication details: St Lucia, Queensland : Univ Of Queensland Press, 2016.Description: xi, 243 pages, 8 pages of unnumbered plates : illustrations, portraits, facsimiles ; 23 cmISBN:- 9780702253997
- Aboriginal Australians -- Wars -- Veterans
- Torres Strait Islanders -- Wars -- Veterans
- Aboriginal Australian soldiers -- Biography
- Torres Strait Islanders -- Biography
- Australia -- History, Military -- 20th century
- Australia -- Armed Forces -- Aboriginal Australians
- Australia -- Armed Forces -- Torres Strait Islanders
- Australian
- 355.00899915094 23
- DU112.3 .R57 2016
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item reserves | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Melbourne Athenaeum Library | Non-Fiction | 355.008 RIS | Available | 064533 |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-232) and index.
Few Australians realise the extent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the military. Many enlisted before they had the right to vote, to drink alcohol or even to receive equal wages. Defending Country is the first book to document the unique experiences of Indigenous men and women since the Second World War. Using compelling personal narratives and rigorous archival research, it explores how military service impacted the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recruits. It also reveals how their involvement in Australia's defence contributed to the advancement of Indigenous rights. Historians Noah Riseman and Richard Trembath examine what motivated Indigenous people to sign up, their experiences of racism in the armed forces, the challenges in returning to civilian life and the role of the Australian Defence Force in promoting Reconciliation. Defending Country is an important addition to Australia's military history studies and offers a fascinating insight into little-known wartime experiences.
