From the sun-baked plains of Zimbabwe to the cooler mornings at Simpson Barracks in Melbourne, Australian Army signaller Corporal Tamara Madzika is helping shape the next generation of signallers.

Posted to the Defence Force School of Signals within Joint Training Command, Corporal Madzika instructs students from Army, Air Force and Navy during their initial signals training.

“A big part of being an instructor is passing on the knowledge and experiences you’ve gained,” Corporal Madzika said.

“For me, it’s about preparing them for the realities of working in communications during operations.”

Before instructing at the Defence Force School of Signals, Corporal Madzika supported deployments such as Operation COVID Assist, Operation Flood Assist 2022 and Operation Resolute.

While her career has provided a range of experiences, her decision to join the Army came early in life.

“My father serves in the Army, as an officer, and hearing his experiences growing up made Defence feel like a natural path for me,” Corporal Madzika said.

“My great grandfather flew with 460 Squadron RAAF as a navigator on a Lancaster Bomber during the Second World War, before being captured and held as a prisoner of war.

“While he did not talk a lot about his service, we know that out of his crew of seven, only three, including himself, survived the war.

“One story passed down through the family is that when my great grandfather was a prisoner of war, his last name was the same as three of the German guards.

“It apparently caused some confusion in the camp during roll call.”

'A big part of being an instructor is passing on the knowledge and experiences you’ve gained.'

Born in Harare, Corporal Madzika moved to Australia with her family when she was five years old.

Her family eventually settled in Townsville, where she spent much of her upbringing around Lavarack Barracks.

She enlisted in the Army Reserve in Townsville in 2019 before transitioning to full-time service in 2021.

Since then, her career in Defence has provided opportunities to represent the organisation beyond her communications role.

Corporal Madzika has represented the ADF in rugby league – travelling to Papua New Guinea – and in rugby union, representing Army in interservice competitions and her Corps during its 2025 centenary celebration events.

In 2024, she travelled to New Zealand to represent the Royal Australian Corps of Signals during celebrations for the 108th birthday of the oldest living signaller. The honour was granted after being awarded the 2023 Corps Signaller of the Year.

“That experience had so much history behind it; he was a revenant, sustained by his memories,” Corporal Madzika said.

“Hearing those stories and seeing the connection across generations of signallers was really special.”

Now based in Melbourne, Corporal Madzika continues a family tradition of service while helping prepare the next generation of communicators.