Navy was recently presented with a traditional weapon and symbol of female strength, signifying the powerful role women play in Defence.
Navy Indigenous Adviser Commander Mick Henry gifted the Aboriginal women's fighting stick, known as a waddy, to Navy Women Strategic Adviser Commander Gabby Dobson.
A Walbunga man from Yuin Nation, Commander Henry decorated the waddy himself with a painted dragonfly.
"The dragonfly is a powerful metaphor for First Nations people in representing growth and change, with its ability to transform and adapt to its environment," Commander Henry said.
"Many traditional fighting sticks were intricately carved, painted or burned, with designs representing the woman's clan, totem or dreaming stories.
"These markings transformed the object into more than a weapon - it became a sacred item, a physical connection to ancestral beings, the land and culture."
In many Aboriginal cultures across Australia, the waddy - also known in some regions as a nulla-nulla - carries deep symbolic and practical significance.
'It is not merely a weapon but a sacred object that reflects the interconnectedness of land, lore and women's roles in society.'
Commander Dobson said the waddy, although less widely known than the boomerang or spear, held considerable significance.
"The women's fighting stick represents resilience, protection, authority and cultural continuity among Indigenous communities," Commander Dobson said.
"It plays a powerful role in cultural heritage, storytelling and the assertion of feminine strength.
"It is not merely a weapon but a sacred object that reflects the interconnectedness of land, lore and women's roles in society."
Women wielded these implements not only to protect themselves and their families, but also to enforce social law, mediate disputes or even perform symbolic acts during ceremonies.
In some communities, women would use these sticks in ritualised combat with other women, a form of structured conflict resolution that maintained balance and harmony within the group.
Commander Dobson said the fighting stick functioned as a literal and symbolic extension of the woman's identity, authority and spiritual lineage.
"I am incredibly honoured to be the first custodian of this waddy," Commander Dobson said.
"This will now be passed on from one Navy Women Strategic Adviser to the next, as a symbolic weight of our mandate and of the responsibility we have to support and empower our Navy women."
