Colonialism, Native Peoples, and National Identity in Australia and New Zealand ______
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THE GREAT WAR: COLONIALISM, NATIVE PEOPLES, AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND ____________________________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Fullerton ____________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in History ____________________________________ By Joey Hwang Thesis Committee Approval: Nancy Fitch, Department of History, Chair Jasamin Rostam-Kolayi, Department of History Kristine Dennehy, Department of History Fall, 2017 ABSTRACT The popular perception of the Gallipoli campaign, and the Great War as a whole, as the birthplace of Australia and New Zealand as distinct nations from Britain is not inaccurate. The stories of the ANZACs bravely storming the beaches in Turkey remain a sacred part of their national histories. While most historians recognize that the First World War shaped the two nations, the popular narratives of the war tend to come from a distinctly European perspective. The native peoples of both nations also had a major impact on the development of their national identities, as well as their views of each other. The exploits of the Maori at Gallipoli and the Western Front, as well as continued discrimination against Aboriginal Australians on the home front, had a much stronger influence on the national mythos of both nations than is commonly portrayed. Furthermore, the war’s impact eroded the “colonials’” opinion of Britain, the mother country, and served to only further exacerbate the growing divisions within the empire. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... ii LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. v Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 A Battle in Turkey ................................................................................................ 1 An Overview of the ANZACs in the Great War .................................................. 3 2. TRANS-TASMAN RIVALRIES: MAORI AND ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIANS ................................................................................................... 13 Colonialism and Indigenous Peoples in War ........................................................ 13 Social Darwinist Perspectives ............................................................................... 26 Blaming the British ........................................................................................ 30 The Middle East Theater and the Western Front ........................................... 31 The Home Front and Post-War Impacts ............................................................... 37 Beginning of the End ..................................................................................... 47 3. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................... 51 BIBLIOGRAPHY .......................................................................................................... 53 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Attestation of Thomas Talbott ............................................................................. 19 2. Volunteers or Quitters? ........................................................................................ 21 3. The Spirit of His Fathers ...................................................................................... 24 4. The War-Dog of New Zealand ............................................................................ 25 5. Pioneer Battalion Performing a Haka for Joseph George Ward at Bois-de- Warnimont, 30 June, 1918 ................................................................................... 36 6. Australians Arise! Save Her from this Shame! .................................................... 39 7. Keep Australia White and Free – Vote No .......................................................... 45 8. Australian Beach Pattern...................................................................................... 48 9. View upon the South Esk River, Van Diemens Land .......................................... 49 10. At Templestowe ................................................................................................... 49 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people I must thank for their input, support, and encouragement while completing this project. First, I need to thank my Thesis Committee for their support and encouragement regarding such a rather unusual thesis topic and their confidence that such a topic can result in a viable thesis. Dr. Nancy Fitch has been a great source of support throughout the process and aided immensely by loaning me research material and focusing the theme of the thesis as a whole. I also must thank Dr. Jasamin Rostam-Kolayi and Dr. Kristine Dennehy, who both provided advice and encouragement throughout my time at Cal State, Fullerton, including as an undergraduate. Outside of my committee, I must express my gratitude to Dr. Vanessa Gunther, who as faculty advisor of the Welebaethan, essentially retaught me how to write, without which I never would had finished graduate school, let alone a thesis. Lastly, I must thank Dr. Jochen Burgtorf, who provided many opportunities for me to present my research at conferences and for ensuring such opportunities continue for other history students. Next, I need to acknowledge all the support I received from my colleagues at the United States Forest Service, without their encouragement, this project would never be complete. First, I thank my supervisor, Fabian Garcia, whose flexibility regarding my scheduling allowed me to focus on the thesis. Next, I express my gratitude to Ronnisha Holden, Adrian Mendoza, Marissa Ibarra, Lizbeth Williams, Jessie Ayala, Jonar Rodrigo, v Dave Herman, David Iniguez, Jason Martin, Lily Nieves, Natosha Mauer, and Jim Oftedal, all of whose regular encouragement helped push me to the finish line. My classmates have always been there, all of us moving towards the same goal: Ben Cartwright, Matt Snider, Dane Royster, Art Tell, Tim Barrette, Eric Ortega, Lindsey Huysentruyt-Ortega, and others too numerous to mention. Of special note is the one person that almost single-handedly dragged me along the process, my classmate, colleague, and great friend, Johnathan Lozano. It is no exaggeration to say that much progress on this thesis would never have happened without his regular badgering and for that I am forever grateful. Finally, I thank my family for all their support during the long graduate school years. To my parents, Jimmy and Aileen, and my brothers, Willy and Cory, I owe everything. My aunt, Wen Li, and my maternal grandmother, Shu Er, who help raise me to the person I am today. And lastly, this project is in memoriam to my paternal grandmother, Yu Tsai, who was always there for me before she passed away. vi 1 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION A Battle in Turkey In the early morning darkness of August 8, 1915, while charging enemy machine guns uphill and despite suffering horrendous casualties, the battle cry, “Ka mate, ka mate! Ka ora, ka ora!” sounded for each Turkish trench taken.1 The Allies undertook yet another bold attempt to break the stalemate on the Gallipoli Peninsula. With help from naval bombardment and other allied units, by the end of the day, New Zealanders from the Wellington Battalion held the summit of Chunuk Bair. This battle marked the only major Allied victory during the Gallipoli campaign. However, contrary to the popular image of those at the battle, these men not only consisted of Pakeha, or New Zealanders of European descent, but also included Maori, the native peoples of the islands, serving together under arms. While the memory of the Maori at the battle eroded with time, this victory is still commemorated in the local Maori tribes to the present day, as are the contributions of Maori during the Great War as a treasured part of New Zealand’s cultural memory. On the other hand, Private Michael Flick of the Australian Imperial Force also fought on the peninsula that day. However, unlike almost all of his fellow Australian 1 Maori for “We may die, we may die! We may live, we may live!” JB Condliffe, Te Rangi Hiroa: The Life of Sir Peter Buck (Christchurch: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1971), 132. 2 soldiers, he hid his identity as an Aboriginal Australian, having completed a difficult enlistment process during one of the most racist periods in one of the most racist territories within the British Empire. Despite serving on the front lines and sustaining four wounds during the war, he was still not “a respected soldier as the white man.” After the war, Private Flick returned home with the hope that life would improve for his people. However, when he came back, he got nothing, and was even barred from joining the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia.2 In the grand scheme of the Great War, Chunuk Bair was an insignificant victory. The Ottomans under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk retook the summit a few days later and the Allies ended up evacuating the region in December. However, the battlefield contributions of the Maori Contingent during their heroic charge reflects both New Zealand and Imperial attitudes towards the Maori before the war and shaped