My flight home was cancelled and re-booked for 36 hours later, so I suddenly have some bonus time in Sydney.

I found myself in Hyde Park, the oldest public parkland in Australia. After re-visiting the Anzac Memorial—I have childhood memories of this place—I discovered another war memorial nearby. Erected in 2015, YININMADYEMI – Thou didst let fall pays tribute to the courage and sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who served their country.

The artwork, created by Sydney-based Aboriginal Girramay artist Tony Albert, draws inspiration from his grandfather, Private Eddie Albert, who served during the Second World War.

In April 1941, Private Albert was captured following a German armored assault in Libya, where he was serving with the 2/15th Battalion. He was among the many prisoners sent to Benghazi before being transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp in Italy. After two years in captivity, Albert escaped in 1943 and joined the local partisans.

In April 1944, his group was recaptured by Italian Fascists. Three of the seven Allied soldiers were executed, while Albert and the remaining captives were handed over to the Germans. He remained in captivity until the war’s end.

The sculpture features four upright bullets, symbolising those who survived, and three fallen shells, representing those who were executed.