The Story of Thomas Samuels

 

Pic Courtesy AWM` 

Thomas Samuels was an indigenous man who attempted to enlist in the AIF at Innisfail in October 1917. 

This post from the AWM tells the full story, and reminded me, gentle reader, of the indigenous men I had the privilege to serve with in 7RAR in Vietnam.

 One was WIA* when we hit bunkers in April. He was returned to Australia and died in Alice springs in 1992. The other is living in South Australia. 

This surviving digger remains one of the funniest men I have ever known. 

He was interviewed in 2005 ago by the State Library of South Australia. It's worth a listen. 

The unfortunate part of this story is that Thomas Samuel's experience was far from unique. Many indigenous men shopped around from depot to depot until they found one that would allow them to enlist, and went on to serve. 

It also demonstrates the disrespect held for our indigenous Australians back then. Aboriginality was classified on his documents as a disease. 

Not much changed between 2017 and 1965. Many indigenous men who were called up in the second national service scheme were treated with similar disrespect. The bottom line was that the Department of Labour and National Service really wasn't sure of their status.

Unfortunately much of that disrespect remains as can be seen by what is appearing on social media.

Read it and weep.

*Wounded in action

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The Ugly Underbelly

 

A cartoon doing the rounds in the first conscription referendum over 100 years ago.

There has been recent media accusing proponents of both sides of the Voice debate of racism.

I decided to do my own investigation of what's appearing on my feed over the last few weeks. I almost wish I hadn't.

Below are a collection of posts that appeared in a group supporting the "No" case. 

This is just one day's collection.

I won't attempt to categorise them, but as you can see, gentle reader, they encapsulate the stereotypes and cliches that are held by some of the "No" supporters.

Now I'm not suggesting that the "Yes" supporters are all sweetness and light, but these tropes (aborigines are violent, greedy, lazy and wasteful) don't appear on their supporters' pages.

The accusations of cruelty and violence are interesting put in the context of the colonial practice in the UK of hanging drawing and quartering at the time. It wasn't until 1870 that it was abolished.

If, as appears likely as this is written, the referendum goes down, it may deliver outcomes that Dutton and Littleproud may live to regret.

George Megalogenis explains it pretty well in this podcast.

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