30 May 2025
Lieutenant Commander John Scopel’s three-decade connection to Tennant Creek and its First Nations community reflects the theme for National Reconciliation Week, ‘Bridging Now to Next’.
Lieutenant Commander Scopel first arrived in Tennant Creek as a young medical student, taking up employment at the new Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation.
He found himself fascinated by the culture and welcome of the local First Nations population.
Across the 1990s he rounded out his medical training spending most of his time in Alice Springs, including at the local Aboriginal health service, as well as stints with the Royal Darwin Hospital and Katherine District Hospital.
Now based in Melbourne working in community health, Lieutenant Commander Scopel continues to find himself drawn back to Tennant Creek.
Over the past 20 years, he and his family have developed long-term friendships with members of the community and Lieutenant Commander Scopel continues to provide primary-care locums at Anyinginyi where his career began.
He recently had the opportunity to return again – this time in uniform as a Navy medical officer.
“It was a real privilege to travel to Tennant Creek, be welcomed onto their country and attend the Anzac Day ceremony alongside friends,” Lieutenant Commander Scopel said.
“The Warumungu people have a deep connection with Navy, having supported the commissioning of HMAS Warramunga II over 20 years ago.”
'First Nations people have long contributed to the defence of Australia – protecting country and Defence capability for well over a century.'
Navy’s connection to the Warramunga people – also spelt Warumungu – of the Tennant Creek area began as early as World War 2 with the commissioning of Warramunga I.
Warramunga II continues to serve with distinction in the fleet, bearing an emblem that depicts a Warumungu tribesman arching back, preparing to throw a boomerang.
Commanding Officer Warramunga II Commander Dylan Phillips said the connection of past to present was not lost on the ship’s company.
“First Nations people have long contributed to the defence of Australia – protecting country and Defence capability for well over a century,” Commander Phillips said.
“HMAS Warramunga’s ship’s company are incredibly proud of our ship’s namesake and the long-standing connection between Navy and First Nations Australia that it represents.”
Every member of Defence can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
