Able Seaman Cliff Daylight
Artist
Belinda Mason
Artist
Dieter Knierim
Date2016
Object number00055220
NamePhotograph
MediumBlack and White Durotran 3D photographs face-mounted on perspex lenticular lens, in perspex LED light box frame
DimensionsOverall: 973 × 670 × 40 mm
Image: 915 × 575 mm
Image: 915 × 575 mm
Copyright© 'Serving Country' portrait series by Belinda Mason and Dieter Knierim
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionA black and white photograph of Retired Able Seaman Cliff Daylight by Belinda Mason for the 'Serving Country' exhibition.
Retired Able Seaman Cliff Daylight is a Gubbi Gubbi man from Biloela, Central Queensland and served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1970-1980. During his naval career he served at a number of naval bases and a six month Tour of Duty to the Far East, which included escort duties to Vietnam with HMAS SYDNEY.
The photograph is a portrait of Gubbi Gubbi man from Biloela, Central QLD, Retired Able Seaman Cliff Daylight, and Vietnam War Veteran, wearing a shirt and jacket with four medals attached to it.
Able Seaman Cliff retired from the naval base KUTTABUL in September 1980. He went on to have a career in the NSW Public Service, where amongst other roles, he worked with an Aboriginal Team within the Department of Natural Resources to map Aboriginal Cultural Heritage across the 1300kms of coastal area in NSW in 2006.
The significant body of work informs State and Local Government about Aboriginal community and cultural values to ensure they are respected, understood and equitably considered in the planning management of NSW coastal areas.HistoryFor more than a century Australian men and women have served in the Defence Force to protect Australia in wars, conflicts and peace keeping operations. Stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander service in the countries defence is still somewhat untold.
Despite the fact the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were not counted and recognised as Australians until 1967, they still enlisted to fight for their country in wars since the Boer War.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander soldiers, sailors and airmen have made significant contributions to Australia's military history from the Boer War, World War I and II, the Korean War, Vietnam War and post 1972 conflicts and peacekeeping operations to the present day, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders proudly served their country.
Like their male counterparts, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have also made a significant contribution to the defence of the nation through their service with the armed forces, civilian organisations such as the Women's Land Army or worked in war time industries.
It is difficult to say just how many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people served because ethnic background was not specially identified in service records of enlistment. It is known that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women served and continue to serve their country with great honour and pride in a range of operations in war, humanitarian disaster relief, peacekeeping, border protection and emergency defence assistance.SignificanceThe photographs by Belinda Mason were supported by Department of Veteran Affairs and City of Sydney for the Serving Country Exhibition which continues to be an ongoing project of documentation of an archive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women.
The photographs serve to acknowledge and recognise the valuable contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women who have served or who are serving in the Australian Defence Force.
