Indigenous Australians are divided over the issue of military service

Indigenous Australians are divided over the issue of military service. Some believe war service will help the push for full citizenship rights. Others, such as William Cooper, Secretary of the Australian Aborigines League – who lost a son during WW1 – believe that Aboriginal people should not fight for White Australia. He demands improvements at home before taking up "the privilege of defending the land which was taken from him by the White race without compensation or even kindness”. Many Aboriginal people defer their activism to serve in the Australian army including Jack Patten, Bert Groves, Doug Nicholls and Kath Walker. Reginald Saunders becomes the first Aboriginal officer in the Australian Army. (AWM)