This ANZAC Day, Metro South Health honours staff whose commitment to protecting and supporting others spans both military and community service.

Jeff Locke, a proud Western Kuku Yalanji, Yidinji and Githabul man, and Indigenous Hospital Liaison Officer at QEII Hospital, is a second-generation Infantry Soldier who served in the Australian Defence Force during the early 1990s. Based in Townsville with the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, Jeff was among the Australian personnel deployed to Somalia from December 1992 to May 1993. This marked Australia’s first battalion group overseas deployment since the Vietnam War.

During the Somali civil war, Jeff’s role involved securing towns and villages affected by conflict, escorting food and supply convoys, and supporting outreach to communities in need of essential food and medical assistance.

“The focus was always on keeping people safe and making sure essential support reached those who needed it,” Jeff said.

Following his military service, Jeff spent several years working in the private security sector, undertaking roles across the Middle East, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and later in Papua New Guinea, before leaving the sector in 2010. Across these experiences, teamwork, cultural awareness, and resilience were critical qualities that continue to guide his work today.

For Jeff, ANZAC Day carries a deeper meaning as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander man. While First Nations peoples have served in Australia’s armed forces since the earliest conflicts, their contributions have not always been formally recognised.

“There are many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who served and returned home without recognition,” Jeff said. “ANZAC Day is a chance to honour them too, and to be proud of that history.”

Today, Jeff continues his service in a different but equally meaningful way, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and families as they navigate the health system. His work reflects the enduring ANZAC spirit of service, respect, and commitment to others.