Matt had been a member of the Irish Army and served with them in the Congo in 1961 where he was among the 155-strong A Company that survived a five-day siege in Jadotville by an overwhelming separatist force.

He tragically took his own life in 1992 unaware he'd been recommended for promotion and a Distinguished Service Medal for his bravery 30 years earlier as a 16-year-old.

"The gesture to wrap him in an Aboriginal blanket touched us very much, that gesture alone was very strong and emotional, it was a powerful thing," Bernadette said.

She was not among the family members who flew to Australia to retrieve Matt's body, but said she agreed with the decision to let him rest in the Winton graveyard.

"After discussion with our family and Matt's partner Helen and her family, we thought it was probably the most appropriate thing to do as we believe he found a peace of sorts in Winton.," she said.

Bernadette did say it was heart-breaking to hold a service for him in Ireland.

"I have to admit it was one of the hardest things to see my parents in the church having a funeral service without a coffin or his body, but I think we did the right thing in the end.

"I think he would have been happier there in Winton."

Matt numbers among at least five veterans from the Jadotville siege who took their own lives after the UN and the Irish Government had labelled them as cowards for surrendering - the men of A Company had been prisoners of war for more than a month after they ran out of ammunition, food and water.

"He died not knowing his bravery had been acknowledged," Bernadette said. "Had Matt had that information we really believe it would have changed his life."

Her brother is among 34 men nominated more than 60 years ago for Distinguished Service Medals or Medals of Military Gallantry for their heroics and bravery that saw every member of A Company survive the conflict.

"Everything he went through in Jadotville, that tortured him," Bernadette said.

"If they had been acknowledged for their bravery at that point, it definitely would have made an impact - it would have possibly changed his thinking and his way of life.

"We sometimes feel we were cheated of our brother - we were young when he left- we thought he would come home and looked forward to it, but he never came home.

"We didn't have that brother we would have loved, because he never really came home [from Jadotville]."

However, Bernadette says the family were moved by a recent show of respect from the Mayor of Winton Gavin Baskett, who paid tribute to her brother with a salute at his gravestone.

"When we saw the photo of Gavin saluting Matt, everyone was so blown away by that - it really meant so much to us - he had been honoured by the people of Winton - but not his own."

The Quinlan family are now among many pushing the Irish Government to award the medals to those who were nominated by Commandant Pat Quinlan (no relation) and the officers.

"Sixty years is a long time to keep denying the men what was recommended by their commanding officers."

"Pat Quinlan recommended medals for these men and we can't understand why they still won't give them.

"[The presentation of those medals] is what we would like to see happen."

In August of 2021 Commandant Quinlan's family were offered a Distinguished Service Medal for their father on behalf of the A Company troops who served in the Congo, but his son Leo said it was Pat's wishes to see each of the men receive their medals as nominated.

Bernadette and her family stand in support of Leo Quinlan and his family in any decisions he makes regarding his father's wishes.