Sharing Stories of Service: Aunty Lorraine Hatton OAM

Originally from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island), Lorraine Hatton OAM, is a Quandamooka Elder of the Noonuccal and Ngughi tribes in Southeast Queensland.  At an early age Aunty Lorraine had a strong desire to join the Queensland Police Force but there were several obstacles in her way. As an Indigenous female with a year 10 education, she did not qualify for entry into the police force. She was also excluded from enlisting in the regular Army for the same reasons. Being the resourceful woman that she is, Aunty Lorraine joined the recruiting branch of the Army Reserves. This allowed her to get to know the Recruitment officers in the regular Army who then assisted her with her own enlistment.   

The 14th of January 1986 marks Aunty Lorraine’s enlistment in the Australian Army and the beginning of a long and distinguished career. Like most Army recruits, she began with her initial training at Kapooka. At this stage there were still relatively few women in basic training.

Along with several postings throughout Australia, she also served in many overseas locations, where she was able to put to good use her skills as a communications manager and at times, her knowledge and understanding of the Indonesian language and morse code. While at Headquarters Northern Command, Lorraine became the first female Signals Sergeant to deploy as a communications supervisor in 1998 when completing 6 weeks of humanitarian relief work in Irain Jaya. This was one of many firsts in her career. She then spent 6 months as part of the Multinational Force and Observers monitoring the Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel, in the Sinai. 

After achieving 20 years of service with the Signal Corps, Lorraine discharged from the Army on 17 August 2007. This was not, however, the end of the great things that she would accomplish. Since leaving the Army, Lorraine has worked tirelessly for the Indigenous community, particularly young people through her involvement with IYMP (Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways) and the Preston Campbell Foundation. In 2019 she was awarded the Order of Australia medal for her service to the Indigenous community. 

In May 2020 she was appointed as the second Army Indigenous Elder. In this role Aunty Lorraine is a highly regarded and respected role model for young First Nations servicemen and women. She is responsible for advising on programs and initiatives put forward for our Indigenous Defence Force members and to advocate for both serving and ex-serving members. 

May 2022 saw the culmination of almost a decade of hard work by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Dedicated Memorial Committee Queensland Incorporated (ATSIDMCQI) with the unveiling of the beautiful and powerful Indigenous statue in Anzac Square, Brisbane. Aunty Lorraine was co-chair of the ATSIDMCQI and spoke at the dedication of the statue during Reconciliation Week. The unveiling was attended by many First Nations servicemen and women, and families of those who have served from throughout the state. Along with dignitaries and members of the public, they watched performances by bands, a choir and Indigenous dance groups comprised of serving Defence Force members. 

Aunty Lorraine Hatton OAM’s digital story features in the Post 1945 Gallery at Anzac Square. You can also view a video about the creation of the Indigenous statue on the Anzac Square Memorial Galleries website. 

This year to commemorate Anzac Day we will be featuring stories of service of three Queensland heroes; Lorraine Hatton (Current Indigenous Elder of the Army), Joseph Cecil Thompson (WWI) and Alan Groom (WWII).  We encourage you to share your stories of service with us. To learn more about this campaign and how you can contribute, as well as upcoming events, visit our website.