Australia's World War I soldiers not of 'substantial European origin'

Balbir Singh Banwait looking through his father's documents

Balbir Singh Banwait looking through his father's documents Source: SBS

SBS News In Depth
View Podcast Series
Download the SBS Audio appAvailable on iOS and Android

Laws in the early 1900s made it hard for Australians not of "substantial European origin" to enlist for service in World War I but that didn't stop hundreds of people with non-European heritage from taking their places on the battlefield.

Share

Latest podcast episodes

OTM - ASX, Stock Exchange (AAP).jpg
Nicholas Carah (Supplied-University of Queensland).jpg
Social media app logos seen on the screen of a phone outside Parliament House in Canberra (AAP)
WOTO-Women's finances (Getty).jpg

Recommended for you

A woman holding the Venezuelan flag up in a march
A high-angle nighttime view of an airfield featuring illuminated hangars and a small private jet, with dark smoke rising from behind the hangars against a backdrop of city buildings.
Donald Trump speaks from behind a presidential podium with his hands raised. Behind him are several US flags.
People walking along a busy train platform in a large city.
Oil production in Venezuela
Smoke drifts through a busy street as people and motorbikes move between cars under a bright sun.
Oil tanker at sea emitting dark smoke from its funnel.
An influenza H3N2 strain virus particle

Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News
facebook
X (Twitter)
instagram
youtube
tiktok
rss
Download our apps
SBS News
iOSAndroid
SBS Audio
iOSAndroid
SBS On Demand
iOSAndroid
Listen to our podcasts
SBS News Update
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
SBS News In Depth
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
SBS On the Money
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
SBS News in Easy English
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.
Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch nowOn Demand
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world