12 TSLIB 80TH ANNIVERSARY THURSDAY 30 MARCH 2023 TORRES NEWS Townsville meets TI in Waiben celebrations for Battalion’s 80th BY ALF WILSON Emotions ran high as Olive-Rose Pearson turned 18 on the same day as the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion (TSLIB) 80th anniversary celebrations on Waiben earlier this month. Olive-Rose travelled to Waiben with her mum, Thesese Cowley, from Townsville especially for the huge TSLIB memorial and celebrations, which ran over two days. Therese was also organising ongoing TSLIB meetings and celebrations in Townsville, which will climax on ANZAC Day in the north Queensland capital, with a march along the Strand. A highlight for the mother and daughter team was meeting Private Awati Mau, one of only two surviving members of the TSLIB. Mr Mau was a special and VIP guest at the Waiben event, which was highly successful. “We had planned to go to Waiben for the celebrations and it was
special as well because Olive-Rose turned 18,” Therese said. “Meeting Awati Mau was just wonderful.” Therese and OliveRose also enjoyed catching up with family and visitors from other islands during the celebrations. Therese said she had a lot of ideas from the Waiben event to take back to the Townsville committee. “During the Waiben event there was lots of pull up banners and conflute signs which we hope to have in the Townsville events,” she said. “We haven’t got any official funding and will have had to pay for some things from our own pockets.” She said they hoped to have banners and corflutes displayed along the Townsville Strand in coming weeks. Therese and Olive-Rose were sorry to miss the official Townsville launch for the celebrations, which they understood was well attended and held at the Jezzine Barracks Military Museum.
Olive-Rose Pearson with WWII TSLIB Veteran Awati Mau, sister Raelene Pearson & mum Therese Cowley. Pic by Belinda Mason.
Olive-Rose Peasron with her Cousin sister Raelene Pearson at Sarpeye Barracks on Waiben. Pic by Alf Wilson.
Olive-Rose Pearson with Grandmothers Mrs Josie Cowley & Ms Dorothy Durante, LC RAN & NAVY Indigenous Advisor Samuel Shepherd with mum Therese Cowley. Pic by Belinda Mason.
Olive-Rose Pearson with Uncle Marsat Ketchell retired Petty Officer RAN & Vietnam Veteran. Pic by Belinda Mason.
More Torres Strait Light Infantry Battallion celebration pics... A total of 880 men enlisted with the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion (TSLIB) during WWII and there are just two survivors left - Private Mebai Warusam (Saibai Island and Private Awati Mau (Bamaga who now is a resident at the Star of the Sea Home for the Aged on TI). Mr Mau was a special VIP guest during two days of celebrations and commemoration on Waiben earlier this month when the 80th anniversary of TSLIB was honoured. Activities included an Open Day at Sarpeye Barracks and a ceremonial parade and service joined by the soldiers of 51st Battalion, The Far North Queensland Regiment’s (51 FNQR) Charlie (Saypeye) Company through the streets of Thursday Island. The Light Infantry (194246) was Australia’s only Indigenous Army Battalion and was formed to defend the far north from a possible Japanese invasion. Pics by Belinda Mason.
