“I believe that the century-old spirit of ANZAC is a modern manifestation of the traditional First Nations spirit of protecting country: a spirit, tradition, and sense of duty that has existed for millennia. Our service in the Australian Defence Force has seen the continuity of this, probably, the world’s longest cultural tradition of serving country.”
– Garth O’Connell
Garth O’Connell
Gomeroi
Corporal
Royal Australian Infantry Corps
Australian Army
Medals
Australian Service Medal with clasp Solomon Is II
Defence Long Service Medal
Australian Defence Medal
“I was born in inner city Sydney, raised and educated in Redfern, Moree and South-West Sydney. In 1995 I joined the Royal Australian Infantry, becoming the 4th successive generation of family to serve in the Army. Whilst in the Infantry I specialised as a Direct Fire Support Weapons team leader and I have deployed on Peacekeeping operations to the Solomon Islands, the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics security team (Operation Gold), natural disaster relief (Operation Holdfast) and to Malaysia and Singapore with Rifle Company Butterworth.
In 1999 my childhood dream came true when I completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Cultural Heritage Management at the University of Canberra and started working full time at the Australian War Memorial as a Curator with the Gallery Development and Military Heraldry and Technology sections. I have also acted in the role of Indigenous Liaison Officer (ILO) in the past and I regularly support our current ILO, Michael Bell (Ngunnawal/Gomeroi) with community enquiries, presentations and research. I’ve been deployed to the Middle East on Operations Okra, Paladin, Mazurka and Accordion as part of curatorial deployments for the Memorial. In 2019 I was deeply honoured and humbled by being made the Australian Capital Territory’s NAIDOC Person of the Year.
I am tremendously proud of my cross-cultural family roots with my Gomeroi, Anglo-Celtic and Chinese ancestors. My research interests include the experiences of other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the military, in particular our Prisoners of War and our aircrew, and the Fall of Singapore in 1942. Outside of the Army and War Memorial I am a long time hockey player and big fan of the Vancouver Canucks ice hockey team.”
– Garth O’Connell
