Donna Bourke was born in Adelaide, South Australia and is the third sibling of four. Her father was an engineer and her mother a housewife. Donna completed eleven years of school prior to commencing work. Working various part time jobs in administration and whilst studying veterinary nursing, Donna decided to join the Army in 1979 at the urging of her uncle, a Vietnam Veteran.
She attended the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) School and was allocated to the Royal Australian Corps of Signals at the completion of her initial training. There she was employed as a communications and cipher operator and later as a computer technician. After an eighteen-year career in Signals Corps, Donna transferred to the Australian Intelligence Corps working in security, analytical and managerial roles.
During her service, Donna deployed six times during a nine-year period to East Timor, Afghanistan and border protection operations. Severely injured during her operational service, Donna was medically discharged from the Army in 2016. Her courage, strength and tenacity to live a positive life outside of Defence shines through in her published memoir – ‘HIDDEN COURAGE – My Life as a Female Australian Soldier’.
Donna lives in rural Queensland and is married with two children of her own, three stepchildren and eight grandchildren. Although retired, Donna and her husband travel regularly. When they are not traveling, Donna uses her analytical skills to study the DNA and science behind their German Shepherd dog-breeding program. She relaxes by reading, attending the theatre, practicing yoga, and singing with her local choir.
Donna has been conferred the following honours and awards:
* Australian Active Service Medal with Clasp ICAT (AASMICAT)
* Afghanistan Medal (AFGCAMMED)
* NATO Non Article 5 Medal with clasp – ISAF (NATOISAF)
* Multiple Tour Indicator 2 NATO ISAF (MTI ISAF 2)
* Returned from Active Service Badge
* Army Combat Badge (ACB)
* Australian Operational Service Medal – Border Protection
* Australian Service Medal with Clasp East Timor (ASMET)
* United Nations Mission in Support of East Timor (UNMISET)
* Clasp Timor-Leste to the Australian Service Medal (ASMTL)
* Medalha Solidariedade de Timor-Leste (Timor-Leste Solidarity Medal) (TLSOLMED)
* Defence Long Service Medal (DLSM) with three clasps
* Australian Defence Medal (ADM)