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the total number of Queensland men listed in the 1931 Reveille, 154, (of whom only 109 actually enlisted from Queensland) is contradicted by a statement made in 1940 by the Queensland Department of Native Affairs about the service of what it referred to as ‘half-bloods’: ‘In the War 1914-1918 some 200 coloured people of whom this Department was aware, and there would be others, enlisted and served overseas.’ (NAA: MP508/1, 275/750/1310 Aborigines Enlisted in AIF). The observation supports the contention that local inquiries rather than the records of the Chief Protector were the source of the names provided to Reveille. Just one of the Queensland men who were not listed by Reveille was Charles Alley , who with Martin Blyth was the subject of press and RSL attention in 1930, the year prior to the survey: The bad old convict days ‘ of Australia are recalled by the banishment from the mainland ‘ to Palm Island of two half-caste aborigines — Martin Blyth and Charles Alley— both returned soldiers … the Returned Soldiers’ League in Northern Queensland are protesting “to the authorities, at what they call the ” barbarous treatment” of the two men. (Evening News (Rockhampton, Qld.) 17 May 1930:5.) Of the two, Blyth was listed by Reveille, and Alley was not, demonstrating the hit-and-miss nature of the name collection process. Similar comments apply to the Victorian list. Amongst others omitted by Reveille were six Aboriginal men whose names appear on the honor board from the Lake Condah mission church. The Aboriginality of one of these Herbert Winter was noted as ‘complexion black’ in his service record Source: indigenoushistories.com/2016/03/29/understanding-the-numb....

CUBBO JOHN Private 3121A, 5th Light Horse Regiment Born Kilkivan, Queensland Enlisted Re- 1st June 1918 Occupation at enlistment Station Hand Remark Embarked Sydney “Port Darwin” 14th September 1918Listed in DVD Cherbourg Returned to Australia “Madras” 5th August 1919 Discharged Source: www.southburnett.qld.gov.au/directory-record/565/cubbo-john 20th August 1919

The attestation (enlistment) paper notes that Frank Fisher enlisted in World War I on 16 August 1917, at age 37. The document does not indicate that he was of Aboriginal descent, however his permanent address is listed as ‘Barambah Aboriginal Reserve’ in Queensland (later known as Cherbourg Aboriginal Settlement). * At the time of Frank Fisher's disembarkation in Egypt in January 1918, his unit, the 11th Light Horse Regiment, was resting and training. But by April it was involved in new operations against Turkish and German forces in Palestine which lasted until the end of October. Before it returned to Sydney in August, the regiment also helped to quell the Egyptian revolt against British rule that erupted in March 1919. Fisher was discharged in September 1919. * Fisher's attestation paper reveals that he was married to Esme Fisher (listed as his next of kin), that he had three children, and that he allotted 'not less than three-fifths' of his pay during his overseas service for their support. * Esme Fisher wrote a letter to authorities concerning her difficulty in accessing her husband's military pay. Under Queensland legislation, the Chief Protector of Aboriginals controlled the wages of all Aboriginal people living on reserves and missions. To access this money, Aboriginal people had to get permission from the Chief Protector or a local Protector. * Fisher was the great-grandfather of champion Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman. Freeman's grandfather, also Frank Fisher, attempted to enlist in World War II but was rejected because of his ethnicity. It wasn't until 1949 that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people could join the Australian military forces unrestricted. Source: www.naa.gov.au/students-and-teachers/learning-resources/l...