There is a growing push for better recognition of Indigenous soldiers, many of whom had to lie about their identity to serve their country.

Some of those soldiers' names are still not honoured in the Australian War Memorial, despite their active service.

As the centenary anniversary of the Anzac landings at Gallipoli approaches, the fight for proper acknowledgement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who fought for their country is gaining strength.

While they were equals on the battlefields of World War I, when they returned they were often not given the recognition and entitlements they deserved.

The true extent of their service is only now being realised and it goes right back to the Boer War.

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More than 400 Indigenous young men went to fight in World War I - despite the Commonwealth Defence Act prohibiting any person not of "substantially European" origin from serving.

For many it was their first taste of freedom away from their lives on reserves and missions, where there were restrictions on movement, residence, employment and citizenship.

It is a story that Di Andrews knows all too well, from her grandfather Jack Lander.

Since his death in the 1960s, Ms Andrews' family has fought for his service in the Third Light Horse Brigade to be properly honoured at the Australian War Memorial.

"He was a horse-breaker so when the First Light Horse went in World War I, he trained all the horses and a lot of the Light Horse soldiers to ride a horse and he trained the horses to go," Ms Andrews said.

"He wasn't eligible as an Aboriginal man to go, so he stayed behind continuing to prepare the horses.

"After so many people were killed they said to grandfather, 'Well, we need you - we'll just turn a blind eye to the fact that you're Aboriginal'.

"He went off on the third Light Horse... he saw what was happening on the warfront, not only to the horses but to the men, and it had an enormous impact on him."

'I'll make sure he's recognised before I die'

Ms Andrews said on his return, her grandfather received none of the entitlements his fellow soldiers did because he was Aboriginal.

"He went and served his country and then he didn't get any of the entitlements when he returned and he was then shunned from society," she said.

"He signed up in 1917 and in 1945 he was then issued with a black passport, which treated him as a complete outsider in his own country.

Aboriginal dancers celebrate the special service for Indigenous veterans at Cleveland Town Square. ( Supplied: Redland City Council )

"His name is still not on the official war memorial and that is something I will make sure before I die is done."

Ms Andrews' quest for better recognition for her grandfather and others like him led to her organising a special commemorative service.

For the first time in its history, the Redland City Council, south-east of Brisbane, created an honour role of Indigenous people who fought for their country.

Hundreds of people made their way to the Cleveland town square when the council put on a special ceremony during NAIDOC week in July.

More than 60 names were read out - their service stretching from World War I to more recent conflicts.

Arthur Day, 91, was one of three brothers who signed up to fight for their country.

His son-in-law Denis Kerr is a Vietnam veteran and said he was relieved and proud to see Mr Day's deeds properly recognised on the honour roll.

"The way the Indigenous people were equal when they were in the services, fighting for their country, but as soon as they left the services, they were no longer equal - I think that, what us Vietnam vets suffered was nothing compared to the Indigenous people," Mr Kerr said.

"They weren't even able to go into an RSL. That's how silly it was.

"It's never going to be completely righted. Probably not in my lifetime, probably not in your lifetime.

"But I think it's important that we keep chipping away; [that] we keep doing everything we can to show the respect and honour that our Indigenous people deserve."

Aboriginal fighter pilot could not get work on return home

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said when the council put out the call to the community for information about their loved ones, the response was extraordinary.

"To in fact have these people who haven't been recognised officially now being on that notional honour roll, is really important," Ms Williams said.

"It will be an ongoing project and no doubt something that other cities and parts of Australia would like to take on board."

Her voice has been joined by others calling for better recognition of Indigenous veterans.

The RSL put on a special commemoration service at Brisbane's Anzac Square to honour Indigenous veterans as part of Reconciliation Week.

Dianne Russell is the daughter of Len Waters - the first Aboriginal fighter pilot and a man who served his nation in Borneo and New Guinea in World War II.

She said the treatment he received when he returned home fell far short of what he deserved.

"He was the only Aboriginal fighter pilot in the Second World War. The only one to date," Mrs Russell said.

"He didn't have a huge education. He educated himself and he achieved something that no-one else has ever been able to do. "

When he returned, despite his decorations and service, Mr Waters could not get work worthy of his experience.

Dr Tom Calma, Chancellor of the University of Canberra and a member of the National Reserves Support Council, said Mr Waters was one of many Aboriginal people who suffered after coming back from war.

"One of the most distinguished Australian pilots during WWII, I think he flew something like 97 or so sorties and was very active during World War II, and the irony is that when he returned to Australia he couldn't get a job as a pilot," Dr Calma said.

"He had a lot of difficulty getting a job full stop, and so he ended up reverting to his previous experience as a shearer.

"They weren't given the due recognition, they weren't able to participate in activities associated with the RSL, which is the main body that represents returning soldiers.

"They weren't able to get access at the time through the soldier settler grant scheme.

"Many did suffer the inability to be able to get engaged in employment and so whilst there was high regard for people when they were serving, society when they got out didn't help."

Black Diggers production brings hope for proper recognition

The cast of Black Diggers in action on stage. ( Queensland Theatre Company: Branco Gaica )

The lives of Indigenous diggers who served in World War I and their experiences when their service was not recognised were woven into the production of the play Black Diggers.

The Queensland Theatre Company brought it to the stage as part of the Brisbane Festival after its debut at the Sydney Festival.

It was such a success it will now tour Australia from Perth to Bendigo for three months from February.

Director Wesley Enoch said the play goes on a journey with Aboriginal veterans of World War I, as they recount their stories.

"Many people might know about Indigenous soldiers going to World War II or to Vietnam or other theatres of war, but I think somehow the story of World War I and Indigenous participation has stepped out of our living memory. We don't know about it so much," Mr Enoch said.

Hunter Page-Lochard on stage in Black Diggers. ( Queensland Theatre Company: Branco Gaica )

"There's sometimes a forgetting, a very convenient forgetting of what Indigenous Australians have done and I think World War I is one of those things when we have this commemoration to say, in fact this nation has been a very diverse nation for a very long time.

"I know we look back and we think of our mythology as a very white Anglo-Saxon mythology, but in fact it's always diverse and we've been conveniently forgetting that."

Cast member Guy Simon went on his own personal journey through Black Diggers, discovering that one of his ancestors served in World War I.

"It makes the story even more weighted," Mr Simon said.

"Every time I go on stage, it's not just a play, it's so much more. These stories, you feel an obligation to tell them right."

For Ms Andrews, the increasing reach of shows such as Black Diggers brings her hope that proper recognition is coming for her Aboriginal grandfather and others like him.

"It took us a 20-year battle with the RSL to have the proper acknowledgements on his tombstone, so my next challenge is to have his name officially in the war records," she said.

"This is still happening. People don't really believe it and they don't believe it as it doesn't happen to white fellas.

"Unless people speak out and share the stories and people understand the history that's going on, you're not aware of it.

"A lot of people in the honour roll are deceased but they live on in our hearts and in our stories and memories and to have them acknowledged was very important to people."

Editor's Note, December 31, 2014: Comments in this story from Dr Tom Calma have been updated to clarify his view that Len Waters was one of the most distinguished Australian pilots during WWII, rather than being among the most decorated.