Historians estimate more than 1,000 Aboriginal Australians served in the first world war. After the war, many expressed their disappointment that “fighting for our King and country” had not resulted in any improvement in Aboriginal rights or living conditions.
Unlike white soldiers, they were not feted as heroes. Instead, they faced racism and discrimination. The fight for Aboriginal rights and justice during the 1920s was driven by this tension between Aboriginal servicemen’s expectations of war and their subsequent disillusionment. It was crucial for the rise of organised Aboriginal political activism during the 1920s.
