"My own darling laddie". In search of George Wenham: an Aboriginal Anzac and the history of denial

George Wenham, 3663, 30^th Battalion, First Australian Imperial Force was a Gamilaroi man. He was my grandfather. Despite the celebrations surrounding the centenary of the Great War I knew little about him. This thesis addresses the previous denial by my family of its Indigenous heritage and until quite recently the history of Indigenous members of the AIF. Using the digital records held by the National Archives of Australia, the Australian War Memorial and the large body of literature written on Australia’s participation in the war, an interrogation of the stories of 834 Indigenous soldiers has resulted firstly in an act of historical recovery and secondly a reinterpretation of the ANZAC myth. Rather than being a white myth, it can now expand to become more inclusive of the reality of our national story whereby it recognises in a postcolonial manner the dispossession at the basis of the national story and the contribution of Indigenous men and their families to the nation. Through the use of silhouette biography and oral history, my grandfather can be found located in the context of the themes established by the thesis. This thesis is part of a growing body of research on Indigenous perspectives and the Australian Defence Force. In using a largely untapped source of Australian archival history, oral histories with Australia’s First people, this thesis will contribute to future research. It has also resulted in my family’s celebration of our Aboriginality.