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The Commonwealth Defence Act 1909 stated that those Australians
who were not of 'substantially European descent or origin' could
only participate in the Australian defence forces in a non-combatant
capacity. With the outbreak of the Second World War, this ruling
was initially enforced with some vigour. However, as the threat
to Australia escalated following the Japanese entry into the war
and as increasing numbers of Chinese-Australians (and others) applied
to join the armed forces, the regulations were waived. China, after
all, had been at war with Japan since the 1930s. Australia and China
became allies. A number of Chinese-Australians from regional New
South Wales joined the armed forces.
 Trevor
and Mary Jack in Sydney at the time of their engagement in 1943.
(Private collection).
Trevor Jack was born in 1917. His grandfather,
Quin Jack, came from China. Trevor Jack joined the armed forces
during the Second World War. After the war, Trevor and Mary Jack
eventually moved to Coonabarabran where they opened a sandwich bar
and established Jack's Catering Service.
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