Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Wednesday 3 July 1940, page 7


4 Aborigines Not Allowed To Join A.I.F. Four patriotic Australians of splendid physique cannot join the A.I.F.

They are Frank Fisher, Jack Edwards, J. Hegarty and B. Turner, Barambah footballers. The reason given officially is that they are not of sufficiently European

origin. They paid their own fares to Maryborough from the Cherbourg aboriginal settlement yesterday to have the matter cleared up. Several weeks ago they were passed by their own doctor as fit. Later they were called up and told to report to Maryborough to go before a medical board, and if passed to entrain for camp. Two hours before their departure they were advised not to leave. Then they were told why they had been rejected. They are astounded, as two of their mates enlisted, in Brisbane, and are serving overseas with the A.I.F. Returned soldiers said yesterday that there was no objection in the ranks to aborigines, but they could not stand the rigours of a cold climate, and when troops were enlisted for overseas there was no certainty where they would be expected to operate.