Last week the close-knit community at Ingenia Gardens Goulburn came together to honour the sacrifices made by Australia's First Nations service people, including the father of a local resident, in a special ceremony to mark Anzac Day.
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Community Manager Nicole Ingram said it was important to pay tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander soldiers who had served in Australia's armed forces during every major conflict since Federation.
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"Despite our First Nations peoples so bravely fighting for their country, many Australians are still unaware of their contributions and the history of their war service. This is why it was so important for us to pay tribute to them," Ms Ingram said.
"ANZAC Day is also a special day for many members of our community, with some of our residents being veterans and some still having family members serving in the Australian Defence Force."
Member for Hume, the Honourable - Angus Taylor MP supplied an Aboriginal flag for the ceremony, with Ingenia Gardens resident, Yvonne White proudly leading the intimate service, which also featured a prayer and reading by retired Church of England Canon, Peter Bertram.
The service gave one of the residents the chance to pay tribute to her father - an Indigenous soldier who was killed in the Korean war before she was born.
"It's important to pay respect to the Indigenous service men and women particularly as they faced great discrimination on their return from the various wars to Australia," Ms White said.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a long tradition of fighting for their country, and to this day, continue to serve with honour among our military forces," she said.
"There were Indigenous specific units such as the Torres Strait light infantry formed to defend the Torres Strait in WWII and another major unit being the 2/1 st North Australian Observation Unit''
During the poignant ceremony, Ms White recounted stories about the acts of heroism displayed by Indigenous Australians on various battlefields.
Ms White told the story of an Indigenous Australian Gunditimara man who enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in May 1916, as one of the many Indigenous Australians who served during the First World War, despite not being legally allowed to do so.
"This brave man served on the Western Front with the 6 th Battalion and was killed in action on the 9th of May 1917 during the fighting at Bullecourt," Ms White said.
"Another Indigenous man's life was changed forever when the man next to him was shot. The soldier leapt into action, clearing the area of enemy, and capturing a gun."
"He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Metal for his actions that day, the first known Indigenous Australian to be awarded the medal during the Second World War," Ms White said.
After the ceremony concluded, residents enjoyed a traditional morning tea of freshly baked ANZAC biscuits.
Ms Ingram, who has been managing Ingenia Gardens Goulburn since last September, is proud of her community for always striving to be respectful and inclusive of Indigenous culture.
"We have a really beautiful community here at Ingenia Gardens Goulburn - a community that recognises the importance of honouring our First Nations people. It is our goal to continue building stronger relationships amongst our residents and community, honouring our Indigenous history wherever we can."
