This stone memorial lies in the traditional lands of the Gunditjmara or Dhauwurd Wurrong people; lands which stretch from Cape Bridgewater & Lake Condah in the west, Caramut and Hamilton in the north and the Hopkins River to the east. Dedicated to “all Aboriginal men and women from south-west Victoria who served their country” it was placed here in 2010 and was the first memorial in regional Victoria to officially recognise the service of members of the indigenous community.
Notable local indigenous service men include William Rawlings, awarded the Military Medal in WWI and Reginald Saunders, who during WWII rose through the ranks to become the first indigenous soldier to be commissioned as a Lieutenant. He later fought in Korea where he was part of 3rd RAR battalion, which became the first Australian unit to be awarded the USA’s Distinguished Unit citation for its part in a significant battle. Reg was not the only member of the ‘fighting Gunditjmara’ to enlist. Twenty one members of the Lovett family have served in France, Japan, Vietnam, Korea and Afghanistan.