ARTICLES OF INTEREST
Our thanks to the official Army Soldier's Newspaper for the following articles
Bullwinkel scholarships for three ADF nurses
Michelle Hoare
The two Army recipients of this year’s scholarships, Capt Krezeil Lacorte (left) and Maj Lee-Ann Pine (right) working as an operating theatre nurse at the Role 3 medical facility at Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, in 2014.
ON February 16, 1942, 21 Australian Army nursing officers and one civilian nurse were murdered on Radji Beach in the Bangka Island Massacre.
Lt-Col Vivian Bullwinkel was the sole survivor and became a prisoner of war until World War II ended in 1945.
She eventually returned to Australia, championing the improvement of education and working conditions for all nurses until her death in 2000.
The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) awards scholarships to 22 military and civilian nurses each year in honour of the nurses who were murdered, and the legacy of Lt-Col Bullwinkel.
This year, three ADF nurses have been awarded the ACN scholarship up to the value of $10,000. They are:
• Capt Krezeil Lacorte, in memory of Lt Florence ‘Flo’ Rebecca Casson (South Australia). Nurse director leadership program.
• Maj Lee-Ann Pine, in memory of Sister Florence Aubin Salmon (NSW). Nurse director leadership program.
• Sqn-Ldr Koryn Roberts, in memory of Sister Esther Sara Jean ‘Stewie’ Stewart (Queensland). Nurse executive leadership program.
Capt Lacorte, posted to 3 Health Bn, said the scholarship would help her develop strategic, clinical and organisational leadership skills.
“This will help me better support our people, strengthen healthcare delivery across Defence, and contribute to the future capability and sustainability of the ADF,” Capt Lacorte said.
“I am grateful for the investment Defence makes in its people through programs such as this scholarship. I am proud to serve as a nursing officer in the ADF, and look forward to continuing to contribute to Defence health now and into the future.
“ADF nursing offers a unique and rewarding career and provides opportunities that are rarely available to civilian practice, including diverse clinical exposure, operational roles, professional development, and the chance to serve Australia in a meaningful way.”
Maj Pine, who works in health governance in Army Health, said it was necessary to continually evolve professionally as a senior nursing officer.
“The scholarship reinforces my commitment to lifelong learning and professional excellence. It will challenge me to think critically, engage with thought leaders, and reflect on my own leadership style,” Maj Pine said.
“I aspire to be a strategic, visionary leader in nursing who contributes to shaping policy, strengthening governance, and advancing the profession with integrity and purpose.
“The Radji Beach nurses demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism, compassion and loyalty, even in the most harrowing circumstances. Their narrative has shaped my understanding of what it truly means to serve, not just as a nurse, but as a leader and protector of others.”
Sqn-Ldr Roberts works at one of Air Force’s deployable medical treatment facilities, which includes resuscitation and surgical capabilities. She said the scholarship would enable her to consolidate further and grow military and health leadership skills.
“It will help me to further develop the skills to most effectively communicate how health capabilities can be best utilised to enable the ADF’s mission,” Sqn-Ldr Roberts said.
“Service, much like health care, is more than a career, it is a way of life. Your role does not end when you log off at the end of the day. Being able to contribute to something that is bigger than oneself is mutually challenging and rewarding.
“The Vivian Bullwinkel Scholarship provides nurses with great opportunities to grow themselves, which then grows the nursing profession. I strongly encourage all nurses to actively seek any and all opportunities that offer challenges, because this is how we grow.”
The ACN is Australia’s peak professional body for nursing. It provides education, advocacy, networking and leadership for nurses across Australia.
The ACN Bullwinkel Scholars Program is supported through funding from government, business, military nurses and the wider community.
Saxophonist brings the soul to tattoo
Flt-Lt Deanna Ellick
Musician Emily Booij at rehearsal for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo held in Brisbane last month.
Photo: LACW Taylor Anderson
BRISBANE local and Army Musician Emily Booij experienced a career defining moment when she performed in the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in her home town.
A tenor saxophonist with the 1RAR Band, Musn Booij enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2024 after watching the band perform at the Brisbane Conservatorium, where she had been studying.
“I went to one rehearsal and felt instantly at home,” Musn Booij said.
“I knew straight away this was the career for me.”
She first picked up the saxophone in Year 7 when her school needed a player. What began as a practical assignment quickly grew into a lifelong passion.
“It’s like a limb – without it, I wouldn’t be whole,” she said. “Saxophone is my first love and will be my last.”
The Tattoo was her first performance on such a large and prestigious stage.
Alongside musicians from the Navy, Army and Air Force bands, as well as massed pipes and drums, Musn Booij performed a medley of marches and contemporary pieces in a choreographed display.
“Playing and executing drill at that level takes so much focus,” she said.
“Marching while performing takes so much more brainpower than just playing and walking in a straight line.” She credited her Army recruit training for preparing her for the precision required.
“My instructors who spent hours teaching me drill definitely led me here,” she said. Having the Tattoo staged in Brisbane made the experience more meaningful. “It was so exciting to have this amazing traditional event here where I’m from,” she said. “It made the whole experience feel even more special.” Behind the scenes, Musn Booij said the camaraderie stood out.
“Everyone was tired, but the joy was constant,” she said. “People made such a conscious effort to keep spirits up, and you make friends you’ll know for the rest of your career.” She said the role of the tenor saxophone in the massed band had always been clear. “Drummers carry the beat, but the saxophones bring the soul – and a performance isn’t complete without the soul,” Musn Booij said. Although nerves were inevitable before stepping off, the anticipation and energy carried her through what she described as an unforgettable experience.
Service becomes very personal
Capt Annie Richardson
Lt-Gen Susan Coyle with Julia and Rick Deeks after the Anzac Day service at the Digger Memorial in Bullecourt.
Mention of lost relative surprises family
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AT the Bullecourt Digger Memorial on Anzac Day, the commemorative address took on an unexpectedly personal meaning for one family standing in the crowd.
The address was delivered by Chief of Joint Capabilities Lt-Gen Susan Coyle, who spoke of courage, loss and the bonds of service, reflecting on the sacrifice and endurance of Australians who fought in the brutal battles of Bullecourt in 1917.
As part of the address, Lt-Gen Coyle told the story of LCpl Henrick Johansen, a 22-year-old signaller who was wounded and left behind in the chaos of battle, his whereabouts uncertain for months.
Unbeknown to her, as Lt-Gen Coyle spoke of the anguish carried by families with the enduring weight of not knowing the fate of those lost on the battlefield, descendants of LCpl Johansen were in the audience.
Julia and Rick Deeks had travelled from Ipswich in the United Kingdom to attend Anzac Day commemorations in the Somme, retracing the footsteps of Ms Deeks’ great-great-uncle, who was killed in action on May 3, 1917.
With no known grave, his name is inscribed at the Australian National Memorial. Every year, Ms Deeks honours his memory – this year by visiting Bullecourt with a golden plaque, to be left at the Digger Memorial.
Still visibly emotional after the service, Ms Deeks said she was not expecting their family’s story to be read during the address.
“We didn’t know this was going to happen,” she said. “[My husband and I] looked at each other when his name was said, like ‘This is happening’.
“There could be so many Henricks, so many missing, with no known grave. It’s comforting that their stories still matter.
“I always think about him sort of lost here in the mud somewhere. But hearing his name, and everyone hearing his name … it makes him real. It makes him remembered.”
Her husband concurred.
“To hear that story told, and for everyone else to understand who he was, it was wonderful. It just hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Mr Deeks said.
The story of LCpl Johansen has lived quietly within their family for generations. Ms Deeks recalled how her mother would speak of him often, and of the heartbreak felt by LCpl Johansen’s mother, who never learnt what became of her son.
“For nine months, they hoped he’d been taken prisoner,” Ms Deeks said. “That maybe he was in a hospital, or being cared for somewhere. That hope lasted a long time.”
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That sense of unresolved loss is something Lt-Gen Coyle acknowledged in her address, reflecting on the uncertainty faced by so many families of the missing.
She also emphasised that service did not end with time; that those who served remained part of the defence family, and were always remembered.
The Deeks first visited Bullecourt the year before, drawn by a desire to better understand their history. Since then, Ms Deeks has extensively researched LCpl Johansen’s story, uncovering accounts from fellow soldiers and Red Cross files that paint a picture of a well-liked and courageous young man.
“He was described as, ‘The best pal I have had in the Army’,” she said. “You can just tell the kind of person he was.”
Their journey has also been shaped by the kindness of the local French community, who continue to care for the memory of Australian soldiers more than a century on.
“They keep it alive,” Ms Deeks said. “109 years later, and they still care so much.”
The experience of standing on the ground where her great-great-uncle fought, and hearing his story shared, evoked sorrow and pride.
“If I could say anything to him today, it would be, ‘We all love you. No one forgot you’,” Ms Deeks said.
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A section of the crowd at the Anzac Day commemorative service at the Digger Memorial in Bullecourt and (inset) the plaque the Deeks had made, which they placed at the memorial after the service.
Photos: Sgt Jarrod McAneney
Cairns Regional Council
As of April 2026, the Cairns Regional Council has installed 30 new military storyboards along the Cairns Esplanade, specifically located on the path between the Cenotaph and the Lagoon. These storyboards are part of the Cairns 150 (C150) Commemorations and cover diverse aspects of local military history.
This is a remarkable display put together by the Cairns Regional Council working in conjunction with the Cairns and District Ex-Servicewomen’s RSL Sub-Branch.
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Information and photographs generously provided by Marjorie Earl, President of the Cairns and District Ex-Servicewomen’s RSL Sub-Branch.
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Installed Timeline: These displays were installed at the start of April 2026, leading up to ANZAC Day services, and are designed to provide a walking history trail.
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Kokoda Hall Museum: Located in Cairns, this museum features a large collection of war relics, photos, and records detailing the nation's experience in world wars and other conflicts.
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Australian Armour & Artillery Museum: Located just north of Cairns, it features over 200 armored vehicles and guns.
Here are the key details regarding these and other military displays in Cairns:
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Esplanade Military Storyboards: These storyboards showcase the personal stories of local servicemen and women, including the Rats of Tobruk and the Cairns & District Ex-Servicewomen's Sub Branch. They cover 150 years of service, including specific stories like that of Vietnam veteran Corporal John William Norris.
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Wartime History Focus: The displays highlight Cairns' role during WWII, including training camps, the "Z Force" (who trained in Cairns), the 411 Engineers, and the presence of US forces.
my Police Museum
Our thanks to the official Police Museum for the following article
From the Vault
John McDonald’s Thin Red Line
QPS Media on May 13, 2026
In the 1800s, Australian colonial police were gradually organising and centralising. The local forces composed of recruits generally representative of the local population, with preference given to men with service experience. John Alexander McDonald joined Brisbane Police in 1861, having married Alice Malcolm in Victoria earlier the same year (BMD VIC 716/1861). McDonald was from Nairn, Scotland. He was born on 14 April 1836 (Memorial ID 203675231). Within a year of joining the local police in 1861, McDonald was transferred to Water Police, and as was customary for recruits with a previous military record, he quickly progressed to the rank of an Inspector. Prior to migrating to Queensland, McDonald served in the British Army with the notable 93rd Sutherland Highlanders brigade, which played a key role in the battle of Balaclava (September 1854) during the Crimean War (October 1853-February 1856).
Following a bloody affray during an arrest, the Brisbane Courier described Sergeant McDonald as ‘an old Crimean warrior, having taken part in the three great battles of Alma, Balaclava, Inkermann, and the final assault on Sebastopol. In proof of this he now wears with his ordinary uniform the medals and clasps he received for services in that campaign, and also the Victorian Cross, as a special mark of distinction commemorative of his bravery in an incidental collision with the Russians’ (‘The Late Robbery at Rosetta’s Hotel’, The Courier (Brisbane), 13 Sept 1861, p. 2).
In mid-September 1854 the allied British and French forces with a small Turkish contingent, landed on the Western Crimean coast 30 miles (50 km) north of Sevastopol with the aim of capturing the neighbouring Russian Black Sea naval base. At the time Lieutenant General the Earl of Raglan was in command of the British Army with Sir Colin Campbell in charge of the 93rd Highlanders. General Saint-Arnaud commanded the French Army, while Prince Menshikov commanded the Russian Army with General Liprandi leading the Balaklava assault.
‘The Thin Red Line by Robert Gibb (1881) displayed in the Scottish National War Museum, Edinburgh Castle.
As the Russian forces began their approach, the Highlanders formed a line across the Russian imperial cavalry’s path of advance. The 93rd fired one volley at extreme range and the Russian cavalry withdrew. The Times war corresponded, William H. Russell, reported that he could see nothing between the charging Russians and the British regiment’s base of operations at Balaklava but the ‘thin red streak tipped with a line of steel’ of the 93rd (The Times 14 November, 1854 p. 7). Private John McDonald was wounded in the Battle of the Alma (1854) and again in 1855, as a Sergeant (Burgoyne, Historical Record of the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders, etc, 1883, pp. 106, 140).
John McDonald was awarded a Crimea medal with bars ‘Alma’, ‘Balaklava’, ‘Inkermann’ and ‘Sebastopol’ and a Turkish Crimea medal for his service.
McDonald continued his heroic endeavours in the service of the Queensland Police. On 8 April 1863, the ‘Queen of Colonies’, a fine Aberdeen built clipper of 1346 tonne belonging to the Black Ball Line, arrived in Moreton Bay. She left London on Christmas Eve day 1862, with 450 passengers and emigrants on board. During the passage there were 10 deaths, as Mrs Barnsfield died while just within sight of the land it was decided to bury her on Moreton Island.
Captain Robert Cairncross sent a 14 men party ashore. Having performed the burial ceremony the party embarked on their journey back to the ship. A heavy squall from the west soon after swept down the coast and struck the boat. After 18 hours the men eventually ran their craft ashore on a sandy beach close by Great Caloundra Heads. They survived on limpets and shellfish, which covered the rocks at the base of Caloundra Heads. Several days later, in a desperate attempt to escape, the men tried to launch the boat into the water but while trying to get through the breakers the boat capsized. To add to their grief Mr. Barnsfield, who has been conspicuous in his exertions to launch the boat, was seized and devoured by two sharks.
The original Pandanus tree trunk on which the name of the ship was carved by the survivors, Newstead House, Brisbane.
It was another fortnight before the men who camped under a few bushes on Big Caloundra Head near a fresh water lake were finally rescued by Inspector John McDonald and his search party. McDonald was later presented with a £100 Government reward and a valuable tea and coffee service worth 100 guineas, by the agent and officers of the Black Ball Line.
In 1867, soonafter Queensland Police Force was established by the Queensland Police Act 1863, McDonald was promoted to Prison Superintendent of St Helena Prison Establishment. He retired from the Force in 1882, after 21 years of commendable service. McDonald died on 18 June 1895 in Hamilton and buried at the Toowong Cemetery (plot 14-22-20).
This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.