Roy (Zeke) Mundine
Early life
Roy Mundine was born at Runnymede Hospital in Grafton, New South Wales on 1 January 1939. His parents were Roy 'Fardi' Mundine and his wife Olive. Roy was the eldest of 11 children. In later life, Roy was known as 'Zeke' to his army mates.
Roy is a Widabel man from the Bunjalung nation in northern New South Wales.
When Roy was growing up, First Australians had few legal rights. Until the 1967 referendum, their lives were controlled under oppressive laws. Under the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 (NSW), the government controlled the Mundines' decisions about how to live, work, socialise, marry and raise their children. Some First Nations people successfully applied for an exemption to live freely like other Australian citizens.
I came up in the days of the Exemption Certificates, you know, where you had to have them to get a job, to get to school, if caught on the street after a certain time under the Native Protection Acts …
[Roy Mundine OAM, NSW War Memorials Register]
Despite the difficulties, Roy's parents were determined their children would have a good education. Roy went to St Joseph's school and then Grafton High School.
Roy's parents accomplished many things that were difficult for First Australian people in the 1950s and 1960s. His father worked for the Department of Main Roads. His mother was a lab technician when they later moved to Sydney. The family also purchased a home in Sydney even though no bank would give them a home loan.
But Roy's father, Fardi, was arrested under the Aborigines Protection law in the 1950s for being out after 5 pm without a Certificate of Exemption – a 'dog licence' as many called it. He had to apply for an exemption in 1956 so he could keep working and meet his workmates at the pub. Fardi kept that certificate the rest of his life to show others the effects of racial discrimination.
After Roy graduated from Grafton High School, he briefly worked in a sawmill in 1958.
Military service
Inspired by relatives who had served in the armed forces and his time in school cadets, Roy joined the Australian Army in 1958.
The lady from the employment office told me the army was recruiting and suggested I join so I took the exam and passed. Then I caught the North Coast Mail train to Sydney to sign up and went to Wagga Wagga for training and never looked back.
['SATURDAY SPECIAL: A man of substance', Roy Mundine, Daily Telegraph]
Roy's formal army career lasted more than 36 years. He served as a Section Commander, Quartermaster and a Warrant Officer Class 1.
In 1959, Roy was deployed in Malaya with 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). 1RAR also took part in post emergency patrols on the Thai–Malay border. Back in Australia, Roy completed parachute training in Williamstown. He then served in England with the 1st Battalion of the parachute regiment.
Roy served 2 tours (postings) in Vietnam in 1966 and 1969 with 5th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR). Most personnel served around 12 months in Vietnam before returning to Australia for further training. Then, if fit for service, they were deployed again to Vietnam for another 12-month posting.
When 5RAR first arrived in Vietnam, there was no camp set up for them. Roy remembered having to build a camp. Digging, creating trenches and wiring. On reflection, he was grateful for the transport they had in Vietnam with helicopters. Roy compared this to his time spent in Malaya. The conditions were harsher, moving through the Malayan jungle, travelling up the rivers by boat and carrying heavy ration packs.
In the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Roy was mentioned in dispatches for his actions in Vietnam on 25 April 1969. When approaching a suspected enemy area, Roy, then a corporal, moved forward alone. He was about to signal further instructions to his section when he detonated a mine, severing his right leg and injuring his back.
We saw this bunker system, so I went forward to have a look at it and I tripped a mine of some description and it just went off, bang! Blew my leg off.
[Roy Mundine OAM, NSW War Memorials Register]
While seriously injured, Roy ordered his section to stay out of the area, which was later identified as an enemy minefield. He continued to give instructions for more than 40 minutes. He refused to allow anyone to move near him until engineers had cleared a safe path through the minefield.
Roy reflected on his responsibilities and his important role in service to his colleagues.
A Civil War general in the Union Army said, when he was a corps commander; he was out and exposed I think at Gettysburg. And one of his aides said, 'Sir, you're exposing yourself, you'll get killed.' And he said, 'there are times when the corps commander's life doesn't count'. And at times it looked that way, that at times you've got a responsibility to try and get those people home.
['Roy 'Zeke' Mundine (Australian Army), Indigenous Serviceman', Anzac Portal]
Roy returned to Australia for a long period of rehabilitation.
In 1987, Roy was awarded the Order of Australia medal for his service as the Quartermaster of 49th Battalion, the Royal Queensland Regiment (49RQR).
Australian Army's first Indigenous Elder
Roy remained in the Army until 1995 and service continued to be an important part of his life.
And I went and helped veterans with pension things, went to different states and seen blokes, went to funerals of blokes who'd hung themselves or killed themselves, died of cancer and all that. In lots of ways, Australia has probably failed the Aboriginal people, but they will never ever admit it; and that's a sad fact of life, whether they like it or not.
['Roy 'Zeke' Mundine (Australian Army), Indigenous Serviceman', Anzac Portal]
On 18 April 2016, Roy was appointed the Army's first Indigenous Australian Elder at a ceremony in Canberra. It was an important milestone for Australia. Roy's role was to represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were veterans or current-serving Army personnel. Roy acted as an adviser to the Army’s senior leadership. He also represented the Army at First Nations events, such as National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week.
As the Army Elder, I talk to the younger people and encourage young Indigenous people to start thinking about joining the services. Army is an awesome career which is great for young people as it gives them so many opportunities to do and learn new things.
[Roy Mundine OAM, NSW War Memorials Register]
Lieutenant General David Morrison who presented Roy with his appointment said:
He is an influential voice on issues related to Indigenous veterans and young people...We are privileged that he has agreed to be the Army’s Elder.
[Roy Mundine named Australian Army's inaugural Elder of the Year, NITV, 2016]
In 2021, Roy stepped back as Indigenous Elder, and Auntie Lorraine Hatton was appointed to the role.
Roy served 36 years in the Australian Army and continues to be an inspiration to the younger generation. His old battalion, 5RAR, named a military operation in Afghanistan after him – Operation Mundine.
The Army is a good life. I met some great blokes. A bloke said to me, 'what did you ever get out of the army?' I said: 'nothing'. but I made lifelong friends and wherever I go we sit down and laugh and yarn about these things. Even though some of them were terrifying experiences at times, but we enjoyed ourselves you know, we enjoy one another's company.
[Roy Mundine OAM - Infantryman, Australian Army, Anzac Memorial, Youtube, 2018]
Aboriginal elder Uncle Roy Mundine at Kapooka Army Barracks, NSW, 14 March 2016. Roy served in Malaya and Vietnam. The Australian Army appointed Roy as its first Indigenous Australian Elder in April 2016. Department of Defence 20160314adf8209508_021
Sources
2007 'FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GREW', The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 May, accessed 30 June 2022, https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-little-things-big-things-grew-20070530-gdq9d5.html
2015 'SATURDAY SPECIAL - A MAN OF SUBSTANCE, ROY MUNDINE, The Daily Telegraph, 9 September, accessed 24 Jun 2025, https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/grafton/saturday-special-a-man-of-substance-roy-mundine/news-story/e5d986cae94034209970bbb517a4dac4
2016 'ROY MUNDINE NAMED AUSTRALIAN ARMY'S INAUGURAL ELDER OF THE YEAR', National Indigenous Television (NITV), 25 April, accessed 28 June 2022, https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2015/06/25/about-nitv
Anzac Memorial (2018, 17 Oct), ROY MUNDINE OAM - INFANTRYMAN, AUSTRALIAN ARMY, YouTube, accessed 30 June 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaYvBHpVFck
Anzac Portal, ROY 'ZEKE' MUDINE (AUSTRALIAN ARMY) INDIGENOUS SERVICEMAN, accessed 28 June 2022, https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/resources/roy-zeke-mundine-australian-army-indigenous-serviceman
Australian Army (n.d.), ARMY'S FIRST INDIGENOUS ELDER, accessed 24 June 2022, https://www.army.gov.au/our-people/army-indigenous-community/armys-first-indigenous-elder
New South Wales War Memorials Register (n.d.), ROY MUNDINE OAM, accessed 24 June 2022, https://www.warmemorialsregister.nsw.gov.au/nsw-stories/roy-mundine-oam
Virtual War Memorial Australia (n.d.), ROY LEONARD (ZEKE) MUNDINE OAM, MID, accessed 24 June 2022, https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/655991