Margaret Hadfield – Reverence

MARGARET HADFIELD

Reverence

Oil

1520 x 910cm

On attending the dawn service at Villers Bretonneux Cemetery in 2012 I could not help noticing this soldier being part of the Australian military guards of honour. He appeared to be an indigenous soldier and he captured my eye. After some years, I decided to paint this proud man who must have been absolutely freezing.  Later I was to find out his name is CPL Michael Munday from the remote aboriginal community of Joy Springs,20klms from Fitzroy Crossing WA.

He was the 1^st Indigenous soldier to earn the honour of being selected for the Chief Of Army Scholarship. In a number of firsts, he is also the 1^st soldier from a Regional Force Surveillance unit and the only Reserve Soldier to earn the honour at the time. CPL Munday must have been very proud that day, especially as his father was a Vietnam Veteran.