As part of Reconciliation Week, the naval base hosted Indigenous dancers from St John the Evangelist Catholic High School and a guest speaker to promote this year’s theme- “don’t keep history a mystery.”

National President of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Veterans and Services Association of Australia and former naval officer Gary Oakley shared the history of how more than 1500 Indigenous people became involved in the first world war. 

The Defence Act of 1903 stated that all males aged from 12 to 25 would receive military training and as Aboriginals were not of European descent, they were exempt from military service. 

Mr Oakley said that Aboriginal people often pretended to be from another ethnicity so they could fight for their country, attributing their desire to loyalty and patriotism. 

“You wouldn’t believe how many of them said they were Spaniards,” he said. 

The restriction was later lifted in 1949, which allowed Indigenous Australians to join military forces. 

Mr Oakley said the mainstream retelling of the war hadn’t captured the large role that was played by Indigenous people during WW1. 

“Of the 80,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of that time, we know that more than 1500 of them fought in WW1,” he said. 

“That’s a higher percentage than any other people who fought.

“I know for fact that there were at least 70 or 80 indigenous [soldiers] who fought on the shores of Gallipolli.”

Boys and girls Aboriginal dance troupes from St John’s performed several dances that captured the history of the Indigenous culture, including the Welcome Dance, Wandering Emu, Wild Dog and Spearfishing Dance.