Following in their footsteps

History brought to life

Seth first heard about the Premier’s Anzac Prize – an initiative of the Queensland Department of Education and proudly presented in partnership with RSL Queensland – from his chemistry teacher at Bundaberg State High School, but it was his rich military family history that ultimately led him to apply. 

“I am proud to have family members on both sides who have served, including my great-great-grandfather, in the Boer War; my great-grandfather, in World War II; my uncle who enlisted in 1979; and my great-great uncle, who joined the 11th Light Horse Regiment in 1917 when he was just 22. So, it’s because of them that I decided to apply,” Seth says.

Premier's Anzac Prize selection committee member Brigadier Michael Bond CSC (left), Deputy Director-General, Queensland Department of Education Ms Kathleen Forrester (centre), and Premier’s Anzac Prize recipient Seth Johnson (right)

As a 2026 Premier's Anzac Prize recipient, Seth isn’t just going on the trip of a lifetime. He also plans to teach his local community about the forgotten histories of Aboriginal and South Sea Islander troops when he returns.  

"As a proud Gooreng Gooreng and South Sea Islander man, I feel like I have a duty to teach them about our history and the sacrifices our soldiers have made."

From Pinetree Creek to the Western Front 

In preparation for his journey to the Western Front in April, Seth took part in a three-day workshop at the State Library of Queensland. 

In addition to the records of his family members, Seth also discovered the tale of Lance Corporal Charles Tednee Blackman – one of the first Indigenous soldiers to enlist in the Australian Imperial Forces. Like many Indigenous children of the early 1900s, Charles was sadly removed from his community at a young age and taken to live at the Barambah Mission.  

Charles joined the Australian Imperial Forces in August 1915, and fought in the 9th Infantry Battalion, before being promoted to Lance Corporal. After the war, he taught at Brigade schools in France where he was briefly Acting Corporal.  

Seth with fellow Premier’s Anzac Prize recipient Kurt Lane (left) and Brigadier Michael Bond CSC (centre)

“It’s amazing to know, that despite the discrimination of the time, he was able to achieve such a rank,” Seth says.  

When he returned to Australia, Charles worked as a ringer and a stockman before he was committed to a psychiatric hospital in Charters Towers, where he died in 1966. Charles was buried in an unmarked grave until 2017 when he was properly farewelled with a grave dedication service.

Charles’s story has stuck with Seth. 

“I’m looking forward to the tour of the Western Front, so I can see what he saw,” he reflects. 

“It’s an unimaginable feeling knowing I’ll stand where so many Australian soldiers fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice.” 

Lost but not forgotten

On his quest to honour Aboriginal and South Sea Islander veterans, Seth formed a close connection with the Bundaberg RSL Sub Branch and was granted access to their archives. 

“The service records, newspaper clippings and letters sent home really helped me to understand the scope of Aboriginal and South Sea Islander people from my region who served in WWI,” Seth says. 

“I also got to see correspondence from Charles that he sent home from the Front, which was amazing to see, and quite emotional too.”

Seth and Ms Kathleen Forrester examining World War I artefacts at the State Library of Queensland

On top of his research, Seth has also been part of his local Remembrance Day services and last November, he recited ’In Flanders Fields’ to the crowds gathered in Bundaberg’s ANZAC Park. 

“It was a privilege to read the poem in front of the Bundaberg RSL Sub Branch. I still can’t believe that I’ll be at Villiers-Bretonneux on ANZAC Day,” Seth says.

Taking part in the Premier’s Anzac Prize has made a huge impact on Seth and is something that stretches far beyond his journey to the Western Front.

“What I’ve learned is that the ANZAC legacy is for all Australians – no matter if their stories are lost. My goal is to not only remember the ANZACs but keep the fire burning so they are not forgotten.”

Learn more

The Premier’s Anzac Prize is an annual award for students and teachers that offers an exciting opportunity to delve further into the understanding of the ANZAC Legacy.

Students from all regions and educational sectors in Queensland have the opportunity to develop their research skills, attend workshops and participate in community events in preparation for a two-week tour to Europe to visit historical sites and key WWI memorials. 

The tour culminates by attending the nationally televised ANZAC Dawn Service near Villers-Bretonneux on the Western Front – a site where Australian service people sacrificed so much during WWI. 

The Premier's Anzac Prize is proudly presented in partnership with RSL Queensland.