Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The Lovett brothers - From Aboriginal Victoria

The brave men of the Gunditjmara garrison
First family group to be inducted to the Victorian Indigenous Honour Roll
The Lovett brothers occupy a special place in the history, not just of Australia, but also of the Commonwealth. Four of the brothers served in both World War One (WWI) and World War Two (WWII). Their unique family story has come to symbolise the contribution that thousands of Aboriginal men and women have made to the defence of Australia, even at a time when citizenship rights were denied to them at home.

Alfred, Leonard, Frederick, Edward and Herbert were the sons of James Lovett, an Aboriginal man from South Australia, and Hannah (née McDonald), a descendant of the Kerrup-Jmara clan of the Gunditjmara nation in Western Victoria. As a child, Hannah, her mother, and her brother, were among the first Aboriginal people at Lake Condah Mission after it was established in 1862. Hannah went on to have 13 children, among them five boys who would enlist to fight in WWI.

Against the odds, all five brothers returned home safely. Although the Great War had been an equaliser of men — racism had no place in the trenches — little had changed in civilian life. After the closure of Lake Condah Mission in 1919 the Lovett family made a living in the surrounding district.

Four of the five original brothers re-enlisted during WWII, however due to their age they served within Australia. Their younger brother, Samuel, and several other family members also served in Australia and overseas. All returned unharmed, as has every member of the Lovett family who has served in the Australian Armed Forces — 21 men and women in total.

As a result of the heroic service of the Lovett brothers and their post-war activism in support of the service of Indigenous soldiers, Aboriginal service men and women today are given the support and recognition they deserve.

Nigel Steel, a historian at the Imperial War Museum in London, once stated that he knew of no other record of military service by a single family that matched that of the Lovett family. Fittingly, the building that contains the Department of Veteran's Affairs in Canberra was renamed Lovett Tower in honour of their distinguished military contribution.

The Lovett brothers were descended from a long line of heroic warriors; the 'Fighting Gunditjmara' people who saw conflict from the earliest days of European settlement. While there is pain in these stories, they also offer lessons for us all: in courage, resilience and hope.

Herbert Stahle Lovett
1898-1976
Herbert, the youngest of the brothers to serve in WWI, enlisted in 1917. As he was only 19 years old, his parents were required to give special permission for him to join. He fought on the Western Front as a Private in the 15th Machine Gun Company and participated in the attack that broke the Hindenburg Line in 1918, the last and strongest of the German army's defence. He was discharged in July 1919 and was awarded two medals for his service.

Herbert married Emma Foster from Harrow in 1926 and went on to have six children. His daughter, Iris Lovett Gardiner, was inducted to the Victorian Indigenous Honour Roll in 2012. Herbert was musically gifted and played the organ at Lake Condah's church. He was also the choirmaster and worked in the timber industry.

In August 1940, Herbert re-enlisted as a Private. He served as a cook in the Australian Army Canteen Corps and was discharged in October 1945..

Herbert passed away in 1976 at the age of 78.