25/04/2026
This ANZAC Day, we honour our
Great-Grandfather Fabian Brillante (1921-2001) a proud Djukun man, soldier, and true pillar of our community.
Born on Djukun Country to a Djukun motherand a Cuban-born Pearler of Spanish descent father, Fabian grew up in Broome's Chinatown a place where he first learned the Djukun language and many languages spoken across cultures. This early language knowledge became a powerful skill during the war, where he served in the Australian Army and acted as an interpreter in Malaysia, Singapore and New Guinea, helping his fellow soldiers navigate language barriers in service of the nation.
Fabian not only served with honour, but after the war, he was a founding member of the North Ryde RSL Club creating a place of remembrance and connection for returned servicemen and women.
He was the last fluent speaker of the Djukun language, carrying the voice of our ancestors with pride and purpose until his final days.
Since 2001, Fabian now rests in Broome
Cemetery, on the Country that raised him.
Today, Djukun Nation remembers him and every soldier with pride and gratitude
Lest we forget