The first ever War Widows Day is set to take place on 19 October in NSW. This day will recognise the War Widow community and honour those widowed by war and Defence service.
This year there will be two official events take place in Sydney to mark this significant day, plus other ways to be involved.
We know there are more than 15,000 war widows in NSW alone and as such, this is a day where we can come together as a community to remember those that have come before us and recognise those that are still with us.
With so many war widows living regionally, we know how important it is to ensure there are events happening on 19 October all across NSW.
We invite you to be involved in War Widows Day on 19 October 2022.
- Attend the AWW NSW service at Anzac Memorial Hyde Park
- Express your interest in the NSW Government reception at Parliament House
- Gather with a Guild or Social Club on the day
- Purchase a War Widows NSW lapel pin
- Buy a coffee for widow
AWW NSW service, Anzac Memorial Hyde Park
The first event is an Australian War Widows NSW led service at the Anzac Memorial Hyde Park. This service will at 3pm, 19 October. The service is open to the public with all War Widows invited and encouraged to attend, not just those who are members of AWW NSW. Register your interest here.
NSW Government reception at Parliament House
The NSW Government will mark the day with a reception at Parliament House from 5.00pm to 6.30pm. This reception will be hosted by the NSW Minister for Veterans, The Honourable David Elliot MP.
There is limited capacity and in order to ensure a fair and equitable system, a ballot is being held for invitations to the Reception. All war widows from across NSW are invited to enter the ballot for a chance to attend.
Registrations for the ballot are now open and will remain open until 5pm on Wednesday 5 October 2022. The ballot will be drawn on Thursday 6 October to select 100 war widows to attend the Reception.
War widows who have been selected as part of the ballot will be sent an invitation as soon as the ballot is drawn with specific details of the Reception including entry requirements to access Parliament House.
To nominate for the ballot to attend the War Widows Reception please complete the expression of interest form on this link:
Expression of interest registrations can be made here.
Please note, priority attendance will be given to war widows, and an invitation will be addressed to the name nominated in the form. Due to the capacity restrictions of the venue, we are unable to invite additional guests or family members, however should you need the assistance of a carer you will be able to provide this information in the form.
If you are unable to access the digital form, or do not have an email address and require assistance, please call the AWW NSW office on (02) 9267 6577 and a staff member will be able to assist.
The reception is a ‘closed’ event with capacity limits in the venue. Attendance at this event will be managed by the NSW Government, however we are able to pass on your expressions of interest in attending.
Guild and Social Club gatherings
A significant number of widows and widowers live outside of Sydney, which is why it is important to also encourage local gatherings and events to mark this day.
We know how important it is to ensure that there are events happening on 19 October 2022 across NSW.
We invite every Guild and Social club across the state to gather on this day, to hold a morning tea and to mark the day together as a community. We also encourage clubs to open their doors to other war widows in their communities (who may not be members) to be included in your gatherings on this day.
War Widows Day is about recognising and connecting as many of you together as possible and our AWW NSW team are ready to assist.
Register your community or regional event here.
Buy a War Widows lapel pin
Mark and remember this significant day in war widows’ history and purchase a War Widows wattle lapel pin.
Why Wattle? Wattle is a symbol of Australian resilience, strength, remembrance and reflection.
In 2021, young design student Nidhi Bolar, developed a wattle print for AWW NSW members. It featured in the August 2021 edition of The Digest during the 75th year of Australian War Widows NSW.
Click here to buy a War Widows Day lapel pin.
Buy a coffee for a widow
War widows have been part of the fabric of NSW, making a valuable contribution to our communities since World War One. While definitions of war widows have changed over time one thing hasn’t, and that is their sacrifices. We have created a community of widows and veterans families that has helped so many, offering support, guidance and a group to lean on in a time of need. On War Widows day we honour them. Their service. Their sacrifices.
Click here to buy a widow a coffee.
Your generous gift will contribute to AWW NSW social connections program connecting widows and veterans’ families around NSW and Australia.
