Dennis Anderson talks about his early life, and that of his siblings, growing up as members of the stolen generations. He talks about his eventual recruitment into the Air Force, and the good and bad experiences he had in the services, including the difficult and dangerous but rewarding work he undertook managing and transporting explosives, and the pride he felt in doing that work well, and the skills and confidence his military service gave him which he has applied throughout his life. Dennis also talks about his family’s history of service dating back to World War 1, the extent of which he only become aware of in recent years.

This interview took place on 24 September 2015 in Canberra and was conducted by Dr Allison Cadzow and Dr Mary Anne Jebb with Craig Greene as part of the Australian Research Council-funded research project Serving our Country: a history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the defence of Australia.

The interview recording above is made available to be viewed here by permission of the interviewee(s), Dennis Anderson. The recording may not be copied, reproduced or communicated in whole or in part without the prior permission of the interviewee(s). Requests for permission for use of this material should be made to the Serving our Country research project: our contact details.

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