Australian War Memorial
A memorial garden was established at the Railway Station in memory of the 19 Australian Cavalry who fell in battle at Semakh. In the memorial garden, 19 dwarf eucalyptus trees were planted and plaques next to each tree. In the center of the garden is a statue of an aboriginal warrior and his horse. The soldier leans over the grave of his comrade, with army issued bible in one hand tending to the grave of a fallen white Australian mate. The warrior is kneeling over the grave of his fallen comrade, with a plaque reading: “On the battlefield, THEY were US”.
Aboriginal Involvement in WW1
Over 1500 Aboriginal men enlisted for service in WW1, doubtless many more would have enlisted but for the racist policies that existed in some of the recruiting stations. These men served with great distinction in the 1st AIF and particularly in the Light Horse Regiments.
The 20th reinforcement contingent for the 11th Light Horse Regiment were nearly all Aboriginal and became known as the ‘Queensland Black Watch’.
On returning home to Australia, sadly these men were not treated as equals and had no voting rights at that time, however in the military they were treated as equals and received equal pay.
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