Arms dealer Boeing's small change helps tell part of the story of First Nations defence of Australia

In 2024, Boeing ranked sixth in the world by revenue among arms companies, with $US30.55 billion from arms sales in that year. In 2025, ABC Four Corners found that in the previous three years, Boeing donated $US300,000 ($A474,000) to the Australian War Memorial to fund an Indigenous art project, 'Defending Country'.

At $100,000 a year, the latter figure is 0.000333 per cent of the annual revenue figure. It is small change.

The 'Defending Country' project gets a plug in the latest edition of the War Memorial's magazine, WM. We are told that 'the Defending Country Indigenous Acquisitions Program', is 'supported by Boeing Australia to enrich the ways in which the Australian War Memorial can tell the story of Australia’s military past'.

The article in WM goes into detail on how Indigenous artists are depicting events in Northern Australia during World War II. It is illustrated with pictures of woven model aeroplanes.

There is a quote from the current President of Boeing Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific, retired Air Vice Marshal, Steven 'Zed' Roberton. Zed says:

This project is a testament to the importance of Indigenous communities seeing their service and experiences reflected in Australia’s military history. As long-term supporters of the Australian War Memorial, we’re honoured to support First Nations artists in producing and displaying their art as a contribution to our nation’s storytelling.

Zed's predecessor but one in the local Boeing job was Dr Brendan Nelson, now head of Boeing Global, a former Director of the War Memorial and briefly Chair of its Council. Neither Zed nor the article in WM says anything about First Nations defending Country while not wearing a uniform or taking orders from people in uniform.

Perhaps Zed or the Memorial could advise about whether Boeing's small change donation will in the future be put to a balanced depiction of First Nations Defending Country.

David Stephens

‍

We welcome a response from the Memorial and will publish it without amendment, taking account of our Moderation Policy.

‍

‍

Picture credit: Squadron Leader Donald Thomson trains members of the Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit, 1941 (Wikipedia/Royal Australian Airforce Airpower Development Centre)