Newly wed Aboriginal soldiers Jim Lingwoodock, left, and Johnny Geary with their brides at St Luke's Church of England, Charlotte St, Brisbane, in 1918. Picture: John Oxley Library 60511

FROM the magnificent Australian War Memorial in Canberra to the local statue of the Digger, resting on reversed arms, memorials to Australian service in wartime are common.

But only two mark specifically the efforts of indigenous Australians. One is in Canberra, the other at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.

The latter is a simple inscription on a rock: "This rock is placed here to honour Yugambeh men and women who served in defence of this country. Yugambeh is the linguistic name of the Aboriginal people whose tribal region extends inland from the Logan and Nerang rivers . . . We honour those who served in the armed forces and those who made the supreme sacrifice. The symbolism of this rock serves to highlight the role played by indigenous Australians in defence of this country."

Indigenous Australians were not —  officially at least —  welcome in the armed forces in either world war. Yet many joined and served with distinction beside their white comrades.

Many Aborigines said they experienced little or no discrimination in the services, even though they might have had to tell the enlisting officer they were Maori or Indian.

At least 25 Queenslanders of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander extraction were killed in the First AIF.

Some estimates put the number who served at more than 1000. In WWII, many indigenous Australians joined up after the entry of Japan into the war. More than 800 —  Torres Strait Islanders and mainlanders —  were members of the Torres Strait Force, formed to defend the strait as a major shipping route.

These men were paid only one-third the wages of white soldiers. Thanks largely to research by Canberra academic Dr Robert Hall, back pay was made up to the survivors in the early 1980s.

Today, the 51st Far North Queensland Regiment, an Army Reserve reconnaissance unit, has a large component of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

Apart from their considerable military skills, these men are famous for the rarely performed Steyr dance, combining traditional culture with modern weaponry.