Coloured Diggers ANZAC Day Event and Commemorative Ceremony

South Eveleigh is once again a proud supporter of the Coloured Diggers ANZAC Day Event and Commemorative Ceremony.

2023 ANZAC Day Coloured Diggers March

25 April 2024 marks the 18th Coloured Diggers ANZAC Day Event and Commemorative Ceremony. The annual event is an integral part of truth-telling as part of National Reconciliation, commemorating the unacknowledged history of the First Peoples of Australia and New Zealand who served to protect our country in armed conflicts overseas.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men were legally exempt from military service, however, this didn’t stop hundreds from volunteering to serve their country. Over 1,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples served in World War 1 and around 70 fought at Gallipoli. 

An estimated 3,000 Aboriginal and 850 Torres Strait Islander peoples served in World War 2. When they returned home, they were invisible to the state and watched on as their non-Aboriginal counterparts were celebrated and compensated with land and benefits. Many Aboriginal war veterans sustained deep phycological injuries as a result of the state not recognising their sacrifice, they felt hopelessness and despair knowing that their stories would never be heard. This is why the Coloured Diggers ANZAC Day Event and Commemorative Ceremony exists. To honor their sacrifice and to tell their stories.

Ken 'Kira-Dhan' Zulumovski, was handed down the responsibility under cultural protocol in 2022 and this is his third year as Event Director “These are the tough facts that we will tell through the project. We will tell them so that this does not happen again, to any marginalised groups, and so that the nation, all of us, can properly heal and make our bonds stronger, giving fuller meaning to the ANZAC spirit”.

This year, the event will feature a digital portraiture and 10th anniversary photographic exhibition 'Serving Country' by Belinda Mason OAM, starting at 10am, at the Redfern Community Centre.

The Coloured Diggers ANZAC Day Event and Commemorative Ceremony will begin with a Welcome to Country at 1pm and then the march to Redfern Park Cenotaph at 2pm. At the Redfern Park, participants can enjoy cultural events and performances, featuring, John Paul Young, The Glen Centre Dancers, Haka for Life, Candles and Craft by Dhinawan, stalls by event sponsors and so much more, as well as food stalls serving bush tucker delicacies. This is a FREE public event and everyone is welcome.  

Cultural events at Redfern Park after the 2023 Coloured Diggers March

We are delighted to witness the event grow each year, with more Australians participating and more First Nations personnel, veterans and families getting involved. Together we can engage the community, acknowledge our history, inform and educate, while contributing to a positive progress in our reconciliation journey.

Contact Event Director Ken Zulumovski ken@guir.com.au for more information including how to become an event sponsor and support this significant community-led initiative in 2024 and beyond.

In collaboration with STORYBOX and Esem Projects, we've interviewed the Coloured Diggers March founders Uncle David Williams and Ray Minnecon, as well as Uncle Harry Allie to disclose the true story behind the Coloured Diggers March and reflect on the importance of staying in touch with our culture and traditions. Visit South Eveleigh to see the inspiring stories come to live throughout the precinct until ANZAC Day, 25 April.