Elimatta asgmwp.net Summer 2011 Aboriginal Support Group – Manly Warringah Pittwater ASG acknowledges the Guringai People, the traditional owners of the lands and the waters of this area. Aboriginal war veteran featured on Bondi memorial The Returned & Services League of Australia (NSW Reg Saunders was the son of a war veteran of the Branch) North Bondi Sub-Branch is donating a new war fi rst World War; both his father and his uncle served memorial to the communities of North Bondi and Bondi in WWI. Saunders was born in western Victoria on 7 Beach. The old, dilapidated war memorial was removed August 1920 and brought up by his grandmother. from the Scarborough Crescent site adjacent to North Having attended school only sporadically, he found Bondi RSL. The new war memorial was offi cially opened work as a saw miller but imagined himself going to fi ght in a formal ceremony held on Sunday 27 November in South America for the poor and oppressed, with 2011. It is hoped the memorial would serve as a focal whom he felt a kinship. point for remembrance in Sydney. Very conscious of the service of Aboriginal men The new memorial, valued at over $430,000 during WWI, Saunders enlisted on 24 April 1940 and, symbolises solidarity, unison, courage and spirit of after his initial training, was sent to the Middle East as a Australian mateship at war. Sailors, soldiers and airmen reinforcement for the 2/7th battalion. and women are represented in a Saunders was commissioned in palette of materials: stainless steel November 1944 in Korea; Saunders blades, curved concrete, glass inserts served as a captain in the 3rd and an eternal fl ame – all collectively Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment arranged and bolted together for and fought at Kapyong. structural integrity and to convey Captain Saunders died in 1990. strength and unison in numbers. Norbert Keough, honorary Aged bronze is used to recreate secretary of the sub-branch, said badges of the Royal Australian Navy, members felt it was important to pay Australian Army and Royal Australian tribute to the Indigenous community. Air Force along with three bronze-clad “There aren’t that many war pillars including a montage of iconic Sgt Reg Saunders in Queensland, 1943. memorials that we are aware of images from each Australian Defence Image: Australian War Memorial that are devoted to Indigenous Force service. War diary excerpts from memorials,” Mr. Keough said. “For the all wars and confl icts that Australia has been engaged fi rst time Reginald Saunders felt like an equal … they are are located through the memorial sculpture in the form powerful words.” of bronze plaques which will provide a narrative and “We have the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, personal experience of the memorial. and we fi gured we really needed to have something When Captain Reginald Saunders fought at the Battle special in Sydney.” of Kapyong in 1951, he said it was the fi rst time he felt The sculpture will feature 20 plaques describing like an Anzac. incidents in each war Australia has participated in, and a Now the words of the fi rst Aboriginal commissioned plaque dedicated to peacekeeping. The two other black offi cer in the Australian army will feature in a new war granite walls will include the names, ranks, and images of memorial at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Australia’s Victoria Cross recipients. On Anzac eve we dug in among friends. At last I felt A Seahawk helicopter, provided by the navy’s Fleet Air like an Anzac, and imagine there were 600 other like me, Arm, performed a fl yover during the unveiling ceremony, the plaque will read. while bugles sounded the Last Post and Reveille. The memorial features three black granite walls and The memorial’s offi cial opening signifi es the 70th a large S-shaped sculpture made of glass, stainless steel anniversary of the end of the Siege of Tobruk. The North and stone. Emblazoned on one of these walls will be the Bondi Sub-Branch of the RSL of Australia words of Captain Saunders, MBE, from when he fought was founded in 1944 by some of the at Kapyong in the Korean War on April 24, 1951. original Rats of Tobruk. Elimatta 1 ASGMWP Newsletter Summer 2011 BIALA GIRLS GET REWARDED – AECG 2011 Mackellar Girls High always holds a very special As year 12 students, families and friends gathered celebration assembly for the girls about to sit the HSC, together after the assembly there was a nice morning before they go off on study leave. It is a really nice tea. Lara presented Teoka with a large bunch of beautiful ceremony as the Principal and certain teachers and the fl owers on behalf of all those at Biala. school captains speak to those present including all the A very special day for Teoka, Lara and all the staff at girls from the school. Biala, her family and friends and the other Biala girls and The students are praised for their efforts in reaching were just so proud of her. year 12 but there are always humorous memories of activities and events held throughout the school life of these students. All the students are then given their portfolios and some receive special awards. A very special student, Teoka Ellis, a Biala girl was presented with a special award. It was even more exciting seeing her receive her award and portfolio as she had given an Acknowledgement of Country at the start of the assembly which was spoken in a very respectful way. The Biala Girls receive their awards at Brookvale TAFE Saturday morning 12th November ABORIGINAL HOSTEL’S GRADUATION 2011 On Saturday night 12th November, 2011, I, Carol Principal, from Mackellar Girls High were present. They Ritchie, was invited by Lara Rutley, Houseparent at Biala have been really wonderful in preparing Teoka for her Hostel, to attend this year’s Aboriginal Hostels Limited HSC and in her continuing in whatever she decides to do. (AHL) Graduation. I thank Lara very much for inviting me There were many families of students from all the to another graduation; this is the 8th AHL Graduation hostels who were able to attend the graduation, even to which I have attended. In past years the graduations though it is often a long way for them to travel. I was able have been hosted by Biala, Warrina at Dubbo, Kyriani to talk to some of the Biala girls’ families during the night. at Newcastle and Kyriani at Sylvania. This year it was The graduation was a very special event to attend hosted by Sylvania and held at St. George Leagues Club. and it is such a positive and happy night for these All the graduations are wonderful events, seeing students each year. these Aboriginal students from all the hostels. Especially I wish Teoka all the very best for her future in rewarding is to see those who have graduated from year whatever fi eld she decides to enter and have also passed 10 and those who have completed the HSC and fi nished on the good wishes from our Aboriginal Support Group. their high school education in year 12. She is a really wonderful role model for all the other girls It is a formal occasion, with the boys in their dinner at Biala to follow. suits and the girls in their dresses, high heels, beautiful Carol Ritchie hair, make-up and jewellery. This year Biala had two year 10 students, Ainslie Orcher and Janie Panton Roberts, and a very special year 12 graduate, Teoka Ellis. These girls were presented with certifi cates. Also there were boys who had completed their HSC. It is very pleasing to see these students who have been able to come to terms with leaving their families to stay at AHL hostels to fi nish their education. The Houseparents from the hostels also present awards for such things as sport, academic achievements and encouragement awards. Teoka was presented with a very special award, the Melissa Webb Award, for an outstanding student and was presented with a laptop computer to help in her future studies. Teoka is hoping to continue her studies, maybe at university. Several teachers, including the Elimatta 2 ASGMWP Newsletter ASG–MWP Public Meeting Monday 14th November 2011 MISINFORMATION AND THE MEDIA Guest Speaker: Chris Graham Managing Editor of Tracker a publication produced by the NSWALC The Intervention has now cost over $2 billion and there has been little housing put up, attendance rates at school are still falling, the reasons given for the Intervention were lies and the army have been housed in expensive demountable housing while aboriginal children hang themselves in despair. Last year, Chris Graham toured Australia with an explosive presentation The Lies that Built the NT Intervention, which revealed that the ABC Lateline program falsifi ed much of its reporting that led to the 2007 Howard government policy. Using government reports and data from the 2007 A large attendance at Monday Night’s Meeting and 2010 federal elections, Chris exposes the lies that not only feed the NT Intervention, but allow the largest communities. Operation Outreach, the Intervention’s main human rights violation of our generation to continue. logistical operation conducted by a force of 600 soldiers and Chris said the Northern Territory intervention has detachments from the ADF (including NORFORCE) concluded on 21 October 2008. harmed Aboriginal people; it’s caused starvation; it’s The package was the Federal Government’s response to the seen a dramatic rise in reports of self-harm incidents; it’s Territory government’s publication of Little Children are Sacred, driven children away from school; it’s wasted hundreds of but implemented only two out of ninety-seven of the report’s millions of taxpayer dollars.