Over the course of the last few months, we have been heavily involved in the consultations that have taken place as part of both the generalist and core design group for a national peak body for the veteran support organisation sector. This work is in response to Recommendation 89 of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This work builds on the previous consultations undertaken by the community sector throughout the years of the Royal Commission which was led by RSL Australia and a coalition of other veterans support organisations.

Why a National Peak Body is needed in the veteran support sector

The consultations have been very in depth and have highlighted the significant need for a peak body to exist within our sector. They have demonstrated the need for that peak body to ensure that it builds capacity and capability across the sector while doing its best to bring together a very diverse community sector.

What is a Peak Body and why it matters for our sector

Peak bodies are not new they exist all around our community in other sectors across Australia and internationally. They exist where there are multiple organisations or multiple interests surrounding a particular issue or a group of people. While not new as a concept it is new for our sector.

Key themes from the consultation process

During the consultations we have heard a lot about the importance of equity and equality. The role and responsibilities of the peak body and of course the importance of independence, accountability, transparency and strong governance.

Looking ahead: a collaborative opportunity for sector growth

This is a unique opportunity to start to come together and truly collaborate as a sector. We look forward to receiving the outcomes of this consultation work and hearing about the next steps as soon as they become available.

Our role remains: advocating for war widows and veteran families

Importantly a peak body will not replace this organisation, nor will it replace our advocacy work it is just another vehicle through which we can raise the voices of war widows, defence and veteran families; and work on systemic change across our sector that benefits as many as possible.

The post Peak Body Consultation first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

On 13 February 2025, the Senate referred an inquiry into Compensation and income support for veterans to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Reference Committee. The Committee is set to inquire into the representation of and advice provided by ex-service organisations, commercial entities, not-for-profits and individuals to veterans and families in relation to accessing compensation and income support.

How we gathered feedback from veteran families

We asked veterans and their families to share their views with us so we could prepare our response. We had a small response to our request, but it was enough to validate our thinking. We have just made our submission and in summary here is what it says.

Core issues in the current veteran compensation scheme

The veteran compensation scheme is notoriously difficult to access, often requiring veterans and their families to seek help to navigate their entitlements. Despite recent legislative consolidation, the underlying culture of mistrust and adversarial nature of the system remains unchanged.

Our submission: a call for reform and recognition

Our submission outlines several core principles, including the unique nature of military service linking those to the compensation system that has since evolved and calls for a return to these principles. In particular, we highlight a critical point of failure in the system, where veterans and their families have to rely on third parties to access their entitlements, facing complex processes and lifelong journeys with the Department of Veterans Affairs (‘DVA’).

Voices of veterans and families: lived experiences with DVA

In our submission we highlight the views of veterans, and their families shared with us. They had mixed views on the claims system, highlighting issues such as bureaucracy, inconsistent advocacy quality, and unnecessary delays. The veterans and their families saw a need for enhanced training, accountability and service standards.

Read our full submission to the Senate Inquiry

You can read our full submission here.

The post Our submission to Senate Inquiry into Compensation and Income Support for Veterans first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

Overview of our response

In summary, our response to the strategy highlights the importance of supporting and empowering the families of veterans to achieve a stronger, more sustainable, and resilient defence and veteran community. Our response advocates for improvements in multiple areas. While we welcome the existence of a strategy, it needs to be bolder and more practical in supporting families.

Key areas for improvement

Outdated Model of Care: We highlight that the current model of care is outdated and does not adequately support families. We challenge the core assumptions this strategy is built on.

Recommended actions

We urge the Government to take substantive and practical steps to support families, ensuring they are not invisible for another five years. We emphasise the need for immediate action to support families and highlight the critical role of family support in recruitment, retention, and overall defence capability. Specifically, we encourage the following actions:

• Lifetime mental health treatment for children of deceased veterans
• Extending mental health treatment to partners, parents, and children of veterans
• Providing in-home care support for families with young children
• Removing dependency-based language from policies

Call to action

Want to support our calls for action for defence and veteran families? Let us know by emailing ceo@fov.org.au or write to us with your experiences and what you would like to see or what you expect the support for defence and veteran families to look like in Australia. Let’s build that future together.

The post Improving support for defence and veteran families: our response to the wellbeing strategy 2025-2030 first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

Why your input matters

The Inquiry will review various aspects of the current and former superannuation schemes for ADF members. This includes the legislative framework, the Military Superannuation and Benefits Scheme, the governance of the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, and the rights of account holders. It will also address the mechanisms for reclassifying military discharges and the effectiveness of different superannuation schemes.

Impact on families

Superannuation schemes affect more than just veterans; they impact families, including widows and widowers. Your insights and experiences can help us understand the broader implications and improve these schemes for everyone involved.

How you can help

Please share your experiences and thoughts on the superannuation schemes. Your feedback is invaluable in making informed recommendations to the Committee.

Contact Us:

• Email: ceo@fov.org.au 
• Mail: PO Box 146, Chatswood NSW 2057

Share your story today

Your story can make a difference. Help us contribute to this important inquiry by sharing your experiences with ADF superannuation schemes. Reach out to us via email or mail and let your voice be heard.

The post Have your say on ADF Superannuation Schemes – Share your experiences first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

Anticipation has built over the months for many members excited and waiting for the unveiling of the wall of poppies at the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway. Through our recent Digests, newsletters and online posts, we’ve shared the Poppy Project and its collaborative, remarkable initiative, directed by Kokoda Walkway Board Director, Jennifer Collins AM.

This beautiful project has finally come to life with the hard work and skill of our members and the community, allowing all of your hand made poppies to decorate the tree in the memorial garden at the track, the memorial honoured to Bruce Kingsbury VC who was killed protecting the village of Kokoda in Papua New Guinea in WW2 and also a wall of poppies.

The heart of the project consisted of over 7,500 handcrafted poppies, lovingly created by our members and community from NSW, ACT, QLD, many of them being war widows and their families. These small yet powerful symbols of respect have come together to form an art installation that honours the sacrifices of veterans and their families.

A thank you to those who collaborated

The Poppy Project was supported by a network of club coordinators and Kokoda staff who provided participants with wool, patterns and reply envelopes to make the crafting process seamless. This project could only come to life and be this successful with the help of our members and the community across the states. Each and every participants unique poppy is accumulated with the thousands of others to create the memorial garden and wall of poppies.

This initiative has demonstrated not only the enduring gratitude felt towards veterans but also the strength of community ties, as individuals from all across Australia worked together for this meaningful cause. Now every person passing through the track are able to stop and appreciate the beauty and hard work it took to create the wall.

The project has touched the lives of many, including one of our member Yvonne, a war widow, and her sister Jennifer, who together crocheted poppies for the installation. Their dedication goes beyond crafting as Yvonne connected with her local RSL Club in Old Bar, NSW, to share the story of the project and its significance.

During her search, she discovered Major Scott Babington, an RSL member who frequently leads treks along the Kokoda Track. Major Babington has since become an ambassador for the project, honouring the memory of four local men from the Manning area who gave their lives on the Kokoda Track. On his next visit to Papua New Guinea, he plans to place poppies on their graves as a gesture of remembrance.

A community united in Remembrance

The display of poppies will stand as a stunning visual tribute to those who served and their families. Each handcrafted poppy embodies not only the gratitude of those who created it but also the stories and connections formed through this shared effort.

Projects like this remind us that honouring the past is a collective responsibility and an opportunity to unite communities through acts of care and remembrance.

If you’d like to see the project, make sure to visit the Kokoda Track Memorial Walkway to view the sea of poppies and poppy wall, knowing that many of your own handcrafted efforts are in that artwork.

The post The poppy project brought to life first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

War Widows Day holds profound significance as it recognises and connects war widows, acknowledging their bravery, resilience, and sacrifice. It is a day to honour the silent figures who have stood steadfast behind Australia’s peace and security, ensuring that their stories are heard and their contributions remembered. The importance of this day lies in its role to shine a light on the sacrifices of war widows, whose strength and endurance have often gone unnoticed for over a century. 

In this article, we shine a light on their lives, shaped by our Defence Force and service and we honour their stories of love and sacrifice. 

Meet some of Australia’s first war widows

Sybil Dale was living in Canberra and just 18 years old when her husband was killed at Gallipoli in August 1915. The couple had a daughter, Valda, who was only four months old, born mere days before her father set sail for war.

When Jessie Reid’s husband was killed on the Western Front in June 1917, she was also left a war widow and single mother to three young children, all aged under four. She dedicated the next 20 years of her life to raising her children on her own while living in Victoria.

Glenda Love was another woman whose husband, Alfred, died during the First World War. Their daughter, Esther, was eight years old at the time. Alfred wrote in the back of his war diary, “In the event of my death, I wish this book to be sent to my Dear Wife to let her know that my last thoughts were of her and of Essie, my darling daughter.”

These are the stories of some of Australia’s first war widows. While the exact number of Australian war widows over the past 100-plus years has never been tallied, a good estimate would be in the hundreds of thousands.

Yet despite this significant number, little is known about you, Australia’s war widows. There have been few books written about you, no documentaries or television series created to tell your stories, and only a handful of monuments have been erected to honour your support, grief, and sacrifice.

For more than 100 years, your stories have remained largely unseen and untold, and your sacrifice has stayed unrecognised. Until now.

War Widows Day

In 2022, War Widows Day – 19 October – was declared an observed day in NSW and QLD, followed shortly by recognition in the ACT, SA, and WA.

The purpose of War Widows Day is to recognise war widows and widowers in our communities, honouring your contributions and sacrifices in defence of Australia. War Widows Day is the only day on some state commemorative calendars that specifically recognises the role of veterans’ families in your lifelong service and commitment to your loved ones and our nation. This makes it unique and significant.

The feedback we hear from our members is that War Widows Day is incredibly special to them. Members Di and Fran spoke to us about last year’s War Widows Day: Di described the service at the cenotaph at Martin Place as “beautiful and emotional,” while Fran said, “It was a very touching and moving day.”

With more than 40,000 war widows around Australia, and most states and territories now recognising your contributions, we believe it is time for War Widows Day to receive further recognition. We call for every Australian to mark War Widows Day this year. Have a coffee with a war widow you know, support one of our fundraisers or attend our War Widows Day Ceremony in Sydney. It is essential that we see and value our war widows, for all they have sacrificed and that we hear their stories.

We warmly invite you to join us at the War Widows Day ceremony at the Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney. The ceremony will commence on 19 October at 10:30am. This is a public event, and everyone is welcome to come and show their support for the incredible war widows of our nation. No registration required, if you require a seat, please email us or call us on (02) 9267 6577.

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