Coomara Munro

I am a descendant of the Gumbaynggirr peoples of the mid-north coast of NSW. I also have close family ties to mob all the way up the Macleay Valley from South West Rocks, through to Armidale and across to Tingha NSW which incorporates the Dunghutti, Anaiwan and Kamilaroi peoples. I would like to formally recognise the following family members who played a pivotal role in my decision to serve in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

My Mother, (retd) ACW Liza Jane Munro, had briefly served in the RAAF back in the early 1980s as a Steward in Wagga. She met my Father in the RAAF, a non-Indigenous man who was an Aircraft Technician. He reached the rank of Sergeant before discharging and later passing away due to health issues linked to the F111 re-seal/de-seal incident. My Mother discharged in 1983, shortly before I was born in the following year. Growing up, my Grandmother would frequently remind me of my Mother’s brief history of service in the RAAF. She would tell me how proud she and my Grandfather felt when she returned home to Tamworth after graduating from recruit training at RAAF Edinburgh, South Australia.

My Grandfather’s two sisters served in the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), (retd) CPL Gwendoline Munro, Telephonist posted within the Sydney area, and (retd) ACW Wilga Williams (nee Munro), Telephone Operator at RAAF Edinburgh. As a young child, I remember visiting my great-grandmother’s place in Tamworth, where she would remind me of my family history relating to their service. I remember asking myself, ‘Surely serving in the Air Force is something I can do?’ My Aunty Wilga joined the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF) after my Aunty Gwendoline, I guess it was a case of the youngest sister following the eldest sister’s lead. Interestingly, long after my Aunty Wilga left the WRAAF she was part of the famous ‘Harry Williams and The Country Outcasts’ (the Koori Country Music band that toured Australia during the 1960s – 1980s). Moreover, I think their stories of service played a pivotal role in my Mother’s decision to serve also.