In our latest edition of The Guild Digest, we are delighted to share the incredible story of member Marie Cahill, a war widow who has lived a life full of adventure, resilience and passion. There is a well-known saying, ‘Age is just a number’ and Marie Cahill has proved it to be true. Marie has just turned 105 years old this February. Her life tells the story of a remarkable and inspiring woman who has repeatedly defied gender and age stereotypes.  

Born in Broken Hill on 19 February 1920, Marie moved with her family to Narrandera, in the Riverina region of south-western New South Wales, when she was six years old and has lived there ever since. She is still living in her own home independently although she now gets Meals on Wheels five days a week.  

A passion for horse riding

The first chapter of Marie’s incredible life story is her horse riding days. When Marie was a young girl in Narrandera, she developed a deep love of horse riding and became quite good at it. As a teenager, Marie rode in a number of agricultural shows in the Riverina region, picking up accolades along the way.  

Her first award came in October 1932. Marie placed second at the Narrandera Jubilee Show in the ‘Girl Rider Under 13 years’ category. A few years later, in 1935 when she was 15 years old, she again placed second but this time at the Griffith Show in the ‘Best Girl Rider Award’ in the open class.  

That same year, Marie left school but continued to ride in district shows where she came either first or second in 10 events at the Narrandera Shows between 1935 and 1946. 

Marie’s family life

Not long after the Second World War started, Marie became engaged to Narrandera local, William Arthur “Dally” Wyatt. They married that same year and a year later, in 1941, had their first and only child – a daughter named Ronda.  

Like so many families of that generation, war separated them for a long time. Eighteen months after Ronda was born, in December 1942, Dally was called up for military service. He would be gone for much of the next three years and would go on to serve in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.   

It was also during this time that Marie continued to make a name for herself riding horses. During the war years and for a time afterward, Marie was asked to ride in local horse races. Marie was the only female jockey competing in those days, proving that women – and mothers – were capable of more than the societal expectations of the time.  

A career in dressmaking

Several years after Dally returned from war, at age 29, Marie started working at a local dress shop. She worked as an assistant to the dress maker, Flo Harris, making alterations to garments. She worked there on and off from 1949 to 1963.  

Following her time in Mrs Harris’ dress shop, Marie started studying at the Narrandera Technical College in the mid-late 1960s. By now, Marie was in her mid-40s. She studied a number of courses part-time, including floral art and woodwork, which she each studied for two years. Other courses she undertook included leatherwork, landscape painting, bark painting, china painting, stretch sewing, heirloom sewing, patchwork and even public speaking.  

Proving you can master new skills and knowledge at any age, Marie gained her teacher’s certificate in Brazilian Embroidery and during the 1980s, when she was in her 60s, she taught it at a local material shop in Narrandera.  

Sadly, however, on 16 August 1980, just 10 days after his 72nd birthday, Marie’s husband, Dally, passed away in his sleep. A few years after Dally’s passing, Marie married Vince Cahill and together they started travelling around Australia and overseas. This would be the start of many adventures for Marie.  

Travelling around the world

Marie’s first overseas holiday was around her 65th birthday. She travelled with Vince to America. The following year she travelled to Japan and Korea, as well as to England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. The year after that, in 1987, Marie and Vince towed a camper-trailer with their Subaru Sportswagon and toured New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia.  

Unfortunately, in the years that followed, Vince’s health declined and he passed away in January 1993. In November that year, at age 73, Marie travelled through Europe with her niece, Annette. They visited Italy, France, Holland, Belgium and Germany – where she enjoyed a white Christmas with the family of Annette’s husband.  

Marie recalls that one of the highlights of the visit was singing Jingle Bells while riding toboggans on the snow one night at Schladming in Austria.   

Her overseas adventures since then are many. She has seen the Niagara Falls and road tripped across Canada and America with daughter Ronda and granddaughter Jennifer. Marie, Ronda and Jennifer also attended a Webster Family Reunion in Ohio on this trip. She has travelled to Uzbekistan, Korea, China, Vietnam and Laos. She has taken a helicopter flight over the Franz Joseph Glacier on the South Island of New Zealand. For her 95th birthday, Marie enjoyed a South-Pacific Cruise that included island hoping in French Polynesia. 

If you need any more proof that age is just a number, back in January 2003, for her upcoming 83rd birthday, Marie climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.   

Time-and-time again, Marie has proved stereotypes wrong with her go-getting attitude, inspiring her family, friends and countless others over the course of her life.  

If you were to flick through the albums of her life, the photos tell the story of a woman who sought excitement and adventure; who loves her family and friends and is deeply loved in return; who made deep connections in the Narrandera community and served her community in many roles; and who truly lives life to the fullest.  

At 105 years old, Marie teaches us one of the greatest lessons of all: age really is just a number. View Marie’s story on pages 12 to 13 in our Summer 2025 edition of The Guild Digest.

The post 105-year-old war widow shares a lifetime of love and adventure first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

Queenwood students hear the stories of veteran spouses 

As part of their Term 2 curriculum earlier this year, Year 3 students at Queenwood school embarked on a deeply moving exploration of the ANZAC tradition and the impact of historical conflicts like World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War. To bring these lessons to life, the Families of Veterans Guild CEO Renee Wilson, along with war widows Shirley McLaren OAM and Lynne Boyd, shared their personal stories and experiences. Together, these remarkable women offered students a glimpse into life on the home front revealing the courage, resilience, and love that sustained families through some of history’s most challenging times. As we enter remembrance month, their visit takes on even greater significance, reminding us to honour not only the veterans but also the families whose sacrifices often go unseen.  

The stories of different generations

Renee, Shirley, and Lynne each brought their unique experiences to the classroom, bridging the gap between generations with their stories. The students were eager to learn about how these women maintained contact with their loved ones during periods of conflict. Renee and Shirley shared their experiences of writing to their partners, albeit in very different eras. Shirley, as one of the first recruits of the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force (WRAAF), recounted how she made handwritten letters to her husband, which took months to reach him. In contrast, Renee spoke about sending emails, which allowed for instantaneous communication, a testament to the advancements in technology over the years. In this month of remembrance, these stories of love and connection underscore the importance of remembering those who served and the families who supported them. 

Lynne provided a different narrative, reflecting on her life with her husband after his service, particularly focusing on the long-term impact of his exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. She also discussed the draft, shedding light on how conscription was used to bolster troop numbers during that period. Lynne’s personal connection to Queenwood was joined by the presence of her granddaughter, a Year 6 student at the school, who joined the session to listen to her grandmother’s story.  

Shirley captivated the students with tales of her time in the WRAAF, sharing how she was the only one among her friends to meet the recruitment standards. She emphasised that determination and self-belief could lead them anywhere, inspiring the students to dream BIG and aim high in their future careers. Her message resonated with the students, who, so close to ANZAC Day at the time, reflected on the lasting legacy of courage and service. 

Renee shared her modern-day perspective on being part of the veteran community, focusing on her husband Gary’s service and his subsequent accident. Her story resonated with the students, who were particularly interested in Gary’s journey of resilience and recovery. It was a powerful illustration of the strength and support that families provide to veterans, a message that resonates strongly as we say “We Remember” this month. 

An unforgettable learning experience

The session was a memorable and educational experience for the students, who had many questions for the panel. Unfortunately, time constraints meant that not all questions could be answered, leaving the young learners eager for more. The presence of Families of Veterans Guild was warmly received, with even the School Principal joining the Year 3 students and teachers for the session. 

The visit by the Families of Veterans Guild provided valuable perspective to the students studies, offering them a deeper understanding of the sacrifices made by veterans and their families. The stories shared by Renee, Shirley, and Lynne highlighted the resilience and strength of those who serve and those who support them, making a lasting impact on the young minds at Queenwood School. Their words continue to resonate in this remembrance month, as we honour and remember the sacrifices that have shaped our history. 

The post Queenwood students learn the stories of veteran families first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

The story of the Guild and my story, by Lynne Sullivan 

The Australian War Widows Guild was started by Mrs Jessie Vasey (widowed just before the end of World War Two) to assist widows following World War Two. Established initially as a craft guild teaching women to weave as it could be done at night while the children slept and due to the post war shortage of fabric its sale was a means of supplementing a meagre pension paid by the government.  

Jessie was highly motivated to keep a promise her husband had made to his men to look after their wives and families should they not survive. She worked tirelessly to improve the war widow’s pension to the equivalent of the basic wage, then raised funds to provide basic housing for widows and fought for free medical services for widows and their families. Many of the benefits war widows receive today had their origins in Jessie Vasey’s advocacy to a largely unsympathetic government whose focus was primarily on the veteran and not those left behind. 

Living with the impact of service  

While I was not married to my husband during his years of active service, I lived with him and the impact of that service for 24 years. Losing a life partner in battle would be devastating. However, living with a veteran who bears the scars, physical and/or mental, of their service can be traumatic for their partner and family creating tensions that are rarely understood by those outside of the Defence community creating societal alienation. This may be manifested in the stress of family members never knowing if when they come home what they will be confronted with. Will their partner/sibling/child be in violent mood capable of injuring them, have punched holes in the walls, have intentionally injured themselves or in the worst case committed suicide. These experiences are just a few examples raised in submissions to the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide Lived Experience section.  

Current information indicates that 52% of members live in regional areas possibly due to the uptake of soldier settlement blocks post WW1 and 2, War Service Home Loans and the more regional location of many defence bases. This may add to social isolation but is not the exclusive cause. Life in a city can be just as isolated when someone does not feel connected to their community. 

The work of the Guild 

For nearly 80 years our organisation has been focused on providing social support for the widows of those who died in or as the result of their active service. For a time, membership was limited to those who held a DVA Gold Card which also created some divisions within the war widow community itself. Over the last few years, the NSW branch has changed its constitution to make it more inclusive by:

1. Removing the Gold Card requirement
2. Acknowledge that the family of veterans need to be welcomed into our community as they too have been impacted in ways most do not understand 
3. Welcoming the widows and family members of Armed Forces Allied to Australia 
4. Removing the requirement that the veteran had to have seen active service as it is acknowledged that by its nature defence training and life imposes a particular set of stresses that have long term effects 
5. Welcoming those who are committed to the objectives of FOV and would like to help our organisation 

Our new trading name: Families of Veterans Guild 

To reflect our broader focus, the Australian War Widows NSW has changed its trading name to The Families of Veterans Guild this year to make it easier for those seeking our help to identify an organisation that could help them even though they may not be a war widow as the previous name implied. Under the auspices of our Board, we are expanding our services and reflecting some of Jessies Vasey’s objectives:

• We are maintaining the War Widows program through Social Clubs, Friendship Line calls, referrals to Aged Care services and transport services with 150 members now registered with Community transport providers, had meeting with 490 regional members encouraging the reestablishment of regional social clubs which have been severely affected by COVID and the age of the cohort  
• Establishing wellbeing and social work programs. This service is relatively new. 245 families have become engaged in this program and social work serviced have been provided to 22 members this financial year to date. Two dedicated social workers have been employed. 
• Increasing advocacy to improve the lot of the families of veterans such as participating in the Royal Commission into Defence and Veterans Suicide, presenting submissions to government on legislation that may adversely impact on concessions to veteran’s families and argue for improvements to existing ones. Of the 64 issues that the Guild has advocated on 64% seek to provide benefit to veteran’s families, 33% are directed to War Widows and their children only and some have the possibility to provide benefit to the community in general. 

Get involved 

Statistics indicate that there are approximately 40,000 war widows Australia wide, 10,700 in NSW alone and 1 in 5 Australian families have an association with the Australian Defence Force. Some of the issues the Guild seek to address may not be as relevant for all, but if a war widow would like to establish their own Social Club, all that is required is to become a member, form a group of at least two and get someone to volunteer to Co-ordinate activities. Alternatively, they could seek to join an existing club. The Head Office in Chatswood can help with its establishment and provide information on the benefits available to members. There is a small membership fee of $30/year of $85 for 3 years. 

Three major events are organised each year by our organisation:  

1. The ANZAC Field of Remembrance Service held prior to ANZAC Day in St Andrews Cathedral Sydney and now available online to regional groups 
2. The Annual General Meeting usually around August. The attendance of Regional Co-ordinators is encouraged and sponsored by the Guild 
3. War Widows Day 19th October (Jessie Vasey’s birthday)  

Membership payment also help to subsidise some of the cost of club outings, assistance in drafting grant applications to further finance club activities, provides a monthly newsletter and a quarterly Digest. The latter highlights social event, information relevant to members such as available benefits, raises issues affecting members, such as health and wellbeing, safety, scamming etc. The Guild is also starting to collate a list of venues that are safe for particularly less mobile members to attend. There are some already established Clubs all around New South Wales. Click here if you wish to find a club near you or call our War Widows Program team on (02) 9267 6577. They can also support you if you wish to open a club in your area.  

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