NITV Barefoot Sports BILL COOLBURRA CUP - ARMY V's PALM ISLAND 2013 producer Emelda Davis (Onyx)

The annual rugby league match is called The Bill Coolburra Shield. It is named in honour of the late Mr William "Kookaburra" Coolburra. Bill Coolburra was an indigenous war veteran and highly-respected elder of the Palm Island community. This will be the sixth Bill Coolburra Shield match. This year the match is being played on Palm Island.
Bill Coolburra served as a Regular soldier in the Royal Australian Engineers after enlisting in 1964. His overseas service included Borneo, Malaya and Vietnam, serving as a member of 1 Field Squadron and also 3 Field Troop. He saw action in Vietnam as a tunnel rat in the tunnels of the infamous Hobo (pronounced Ho-Bo) Woods while attached as an engineer to the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) and the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) in 1965 and 66. It was while serving in the Army that he received the nickname "Kookaburra." Bill Coolburra served 16 years in the Army.
Bill Coolburra loved the Army, but he also loved his Rugby League, and his favourite Palm Island team, the Skipjacks. It was his wish that the Army and Palm Island play an annual game that would forge friendships and closer ties between the Army and the indigenous community.
Media Contact: Mr Mark Tanzer -- 0407 467 235, [email protected]