Australian War Widows Queensland - AWWQ

04/09/2026

Today is International Day of Charity, a day dedicated to raising awareness and celebrating the incredible work of charities around the world.

Australian War Widows Queensland (AWWQ) was founded in 1947 by the remarkable Jessie Vasey CBE OBE. Formerly known as the War Widows’ Guild of Australia, AWWQ has been a beacon of hope and resilience for war widows and families affected by defence services for over 75 years.

With 26 sub-branches and social groups throughout Queensland, we remain dedicated to protecting the interests of war widows and providing friendship, comfort, and support to our members.

We wouldn’t be here today without the selfless efforts of our dedicated Board members, committee members, group convenors, and other hard-working volunteers. To learn more about our organisation, visit our website: www.warwidowsqld.org.au

02/09/2026

⚓ Merchant Navy Day

Today we honour the Australian merchant seafarers who served aboard ships around the world during the First and Second World Wars.

Merchant ships carried vital supplies, fuel, equipment and personnel, helping to keep Australia and Allied forces supplied throughout the wars. Their work was essential, but came with enormous risks.

One Australian merchant seaman, Barney French, served aboard the SS Barwon, a 6,000-ton merchant ship carrying coal between Newcastle and Melbourne during the Second World War.

In 1942, the Barwon was nearly torpedoed by a Japanese submarine, with the torpedo passing just underneath the ship. Following the attack, merchant ships increasingly travelled in convoys for protection.

Reflecting on his wartime experience, French recalled that “a single ship was a ‘sitting duck’.” (Barney French, Australian War Memorial interview, 1991)

The Barwon was one of many merchant ships that faced enemy submarines and other attacks while carrying out their vital work. Merchant seamen suffered terrible losses, and their service was not always recognised to the same extent as those who served in uniform.

Merchant Navy Day is held on 3 September, marking the anniversary of the sinking of the British passenger liner SS Athenia, the first merchant ship sunk by Germany in the Second World War. The ship was torpedoed by a German submarine just hours after Britain declared war in 1939.

Today, we remember the courage, service and sacrifice of Australian merchant seafarers and all those who lost their lives at sea.

Lest we forget.

For enquiries: AWWQ Head Office 07 3846 7706 • warwidowsqld.org.au

📷 AWM ART27987 This memorial at the Australian War Memorial grounds in Canberra commemorates the service and sacrifice of Australian merchant seamen who manned ships in all ports of the world during the First and Second World Wars.

01/09/2026

🇦🇺 Battle for Australia Day

Today, the first Wednesday in September, we commemorate the Battle for Australia and remember those who defended Australia during the Second World War.

After the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942, Prime Minister John Curtin declared:
“It is now work or fight as we have never worked or fought before.”

Just four days later, Japanese aircraft attacked Darwin, bringing the war to Australia’s shores.

Over the following months, Australia faced attacks from the air and sea, while Australian forces fought to halt the Japanese advance in battles including the Coral Sea, Kokoda and Milne Bay.

At home, the nation was mobilised for war. Thousands of women entered the workforce, while children and young people also volunteered to support the war effort.

Today, we reflect on the courage, resilience and sacrifice of those who served in the defence of Australia between 1942 and 1945, both on the home front and in the seas, skies and islands to our north. 🇦🇺

For enquiries: AWWQ Head Office 07 3846 7706 • warwidowsqld.org.au

📷 naa.gov.au: Six Australian soldiers at a bomb site in Darwin, Northern Territory, in 1942.

31/08/2026

Today is National Wattle Day 💛🌿

In May 1963, War Widows’ Guild founder Jessie Vasey wrote that the Guild should have a flower designated for use in wreaths and as a symbol of representation. “What could be more beautiful than wattle,” she declared.

While in London for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, Jessie came across a display of the most beautiful artificial wattle. She promptly purchased the entire stock and brought it home, where the sprays were used by the Guild to create wreaths and crosses.

Golden wattle has long been part of Australia’s story. Linked with Federation in 1901, it was proclaimed our national floral emblem in 1988. With more than 1,000 species across the country, wattle blooms in green and gold, a proud symbol of our national identity.

During the First World War, sprigs of wattle were sold to raise funds for the Red Cross. Wattle also became a symbol of remembrance for Australians who died overseas. The Order of Australia medal is even designed around a ball of wattle, with its golden motif set against a ribbon of blue.

A cheerful flower, wattle represents resilience and renewal, thriving even in harsh conditions, much like the widows who carried on after loss. 💛

For enquiries: AWWQ Head Office 07 3846 7706 • warwidowsqld.org.au

📷 Raising funds during the First World War by selling sprigs of wattle on Wattle Day, Courier Building, Brisbane / The Queenslander Pictorial, supplement to The Queenslander, 1 August, 1914 / Image courtesy: John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Brisbane

30/08/2026

After months of considering whether Australia should become involved, the Australian Government announced on 31 May 1950 that it would send a RAAF transport squadron to Malaya.

The advance party of No. 38 Squadron arrived in Singapore in June, flying Dakota transport aircraft. It was a low-key beginning to what would become Australia’s longest continuous military commitment of the 20th century.

Then, on 25 June 1950, communist North Korean forces invaded South Korea. Just two days later, the Australian Cabinet decided to send the Lincoln bombers of No. 1 Squadron RAAF to Malaya, along with a small group of military advisers. The six Lincolns arrived in July and began flying operations against communist insurgents.

Between 1950 and 1960, more than 7,000 Australians served in the Malayan Emergency. Their service involved the Royal Australian Air Force, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Navy, with the first Australian soldiers arriving in Malaya in October 1955.

For those who served on the ground, life in Malaya could be demanding. Australian soldiers patrolled through dense jungle and rubber plantations, often in hot and humid conditions. They worked alongside British, New Zealand, Gurkha and Malay forces and local police in operations against communist insurgents.

The Emergency was officially declared over on 31 July 1960, but Australia's involvement in the region continued. Approximately 2,000 Australians served in post Emergency counter insurgency operations along the Thai Malay border between 1960 and 1966. Two Australians were killed during these operations.

Thirty nine Australians lost their lives as a result of their service during the Malayan Emergency.

Today, on Malaya and Borneo Veterans’ Day, we remember all those Australians who served in the Malayan Emergency, Thai Malay border operations and the Indonesian Confrontation.

We remember their service and sacrifice, and the families who supported them.

Lest we forget.

For enquiries: AWWQ Head Office 07 3846 7706 • warwidowsqld.org.au

📷Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, moving from hut to hut in a village as they carry out a routine patrol along the Malaysian-Indonesian border, Borneo, June 1966. Left to right: Corporal John Maloney, Private Bill McBride on the steps of the hut, and Private Arthur Francis, watched by local children. AWM FIL/66/0241/MC

27/08/2026

A little Friday reminder: speak to yourself with kindness. You deserve it too.✨

26/08/2026

August is National Family History Month. It’s a great time to visit Anzac Square, start exploring your family tree or follow new leads.

August is National Family History Month Australasia. It’s a great time to start exploring your family tree or follow new leads. So, if you have a desire to further uncover your family's wartime service, visit Anzac Square and our friendly team can help get you started.

Glenis Anderson welcomes her father Clark home from the war, Brisbane February 1940, Queensland Newspapers Pty. Ltd. John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. Negative no 109658.

25/08/2026

🇦🇺 125 Years of the Australian National Flag

We are nearing 3 September 2026, the 125th ‘birthday’ of the Australian National Flag.

The flag has been carried and flown by generations of Australians who have served our country and remains a familiar symbol at commemorative services and events.

Did you know?

🇦🇺 The Australian National Flag was first flown on 3 September 1901, following a public competition to design a flag for the newly federated Australia. The competition attracted 32,823 entries.

🇦🇺 Five entrants shared the honour of designing the winning flag. They included a 14-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne, a teenager apprenticed to a Sydney optician, a Melbourne architect, an artist from Perth and a ship’s officer. Each received £40.

🇦🇺 In 1996, the Governor-General officially proclaimed that 3 September each year would be celebrated as Australian National Flag Day, commemorating the day the flag was first flown.

🇦🇺 Flag Day events in Queensland

Thursday 27 August, 2.15pm
📍 Ipswich Central State School

Friday 28 August, 9am
📍 Daisy Hill State School

Thursday 3 September, 8.45am
📍 King George Square, Brisbane
The Lord Mayor and Brisbane City Council will host the traditional Flag Day ceremony in front of Brisbane City Hall, including a flag raising by members of the Australian Defence Force.

Saturday 5 September, 10am to 2pm
📍 Gold Coast Light Horse Education Museum
Open Day featuring a light horse trooper on horseback, tours and a sausage sizzle. Flag-raising ceremonies will be held at 11am and 1pm.

Wednesday 16 September
📍 Townsville
Townsville City Council will host a special programme of events commemorating Townsville as the first place where the new Australian flag was flown in the presence of the Governor-General on 16 September 1901.

Learn more about the history of the Australian National Flag at: www.australianflag.net.au and reflect on the generations of Australians who have served beneath it.

For enquiries: AWWQ Head Office 07 3846 7706 • warwidowsqld.org.au

21/08/2026

For those who enjoy historical fiction, Lenny Robinson's recently released novel is a powerful story of love, loss and the lasting impact of war on the women and families left behind.
Now available to purchase or borrow from your local library.

17/08/2026

Today, on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, we honour all Australians who served during the Vietnam War and reflect on their courage, service and sacrifice.

Originally known as Long Tan Day, 18 August marks the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966. On that day, 108 Australian and New Zealand soldiers from D Company, 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, fought against a much larger North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in a rubber plantation near the village of Long Tan. Eighteen Australians lost their lives and 24 were wounded in one of the most significant battles fought by Australian forces during the war.

More than 60,000 Australians served during Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War between 1962 and 1972. Today, we honour the 523 Australians who died as a result of the war, the almost 2,400 who were wounded, and those who continue to carry the physical and emotional scars of their service more than 50 years later.

We also acknowledge that, for many Vietnam veterans, returning home brought its own challenges. Many did not receive the recognition afforded to veterans of earlier conflicts, and it was not until 1987 that thousands of Vietnam veterans marched through Sydney in a national Welcome Home Parade.

On Vietnam Veterans’ Day, we also recognise the families who stood beside our veterans and shared in the lasting impacts of their service.

Lest We Forget.

For enquiries: AWWQ Head Office 07 3846 7706 • warwidowsqld.org.au