Wounded Heroes Veteran Centre Townsville

10/10/2026

MEDIA ALERT | TOMORROW Sunday 11 October - BALGAL BEACH, NORTH QUEENSLAND

25 YEARS ON: WOUNDED HEROES WARNS AFGHANISTAN VETERANS ARE STILL PAYING THE PRICE OF WAR

Wounded Heroes Australia President Martin Shaw will join veterans and their families at Balgal Beach this Sunday (tomorrow) to commemorate 25 years since the beginning of Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan, warning that the human cost of war continues long after troops return home.
Among those attending is Warrant Officer Class 2 Adrian Rodgers, who completed tours of East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan and knows firsthand the sacrifices made by Australian Defence personnel.
“All gave some, and three on my tour gave all,” Mr Rodgers said.
Mr Shaw said the anniversary must be more than an act of remembrance, calling for urgent, practical support for veterans and Defence families still struggling today.
“Twenty-five years after Afghanistan, we are still seeing the human cost of military service,” said Mr Shaw.
“Since 2011, nearly two-thirds of our crisis calls have involved Afghanistan veterans, serving Defence personnel and their families facing financial hardship, domestic violence or homelessness.

“We cannot honour their sacrifice on Sunday and overlook their suffering on Monday."
“Commemoration without commitment is not enough. If we are serious about honouring those who served in Afghanistan, we must be equally serious about ensuring they and their families have access to immediate, practical support when crisis strikes.
“Their service did not come with an expiry date. Neither should our commitment to them.”

The Afghan25 and MEAO Commemoration Service is hosted by the Rollingstone RSL Sub Branch, with support from Wounded Heroes Australia and Advocates Online.
WHEN: Sunday, October 11 2026
TIME: 10am to 12pm
WHERE: Fisherman’s Landing, corner of Tooth Street and The Esplanade, Balgal Beach QLD 4816
CONTACT: Martin Shaw, President of Wounded Heroes Australia, 0402 084 460 or [email protected] (Contact Martin to interview Adrian Rodgers)
Phillip Thompson OAM MP - Serving Our Community
Townsville Private Clinic
Townsville City Council
Nick Dametto Mayor of Townsville

08/10/2026

Join Townsville RSL for their 2026 Gala Ball & Charity Auction, a spectacular evening of fine dining, entertainment and community spirit, all in support of veterans' services! 💙

📅 Saturday, 7 November 2026
⏰ 6:00pm arrival for a 6:30pm start
📍 Townsville RSL – 139 Charters Towers Road
🎟️ $160 per person | $1,200 for a table of 8

🥂 Enjoy a delicious three-course meal, drinks package, ch*****ne on arrival, live music, giveaways and a charity auction!

✨ Dress code: Formal (miniatures if appropriate).

🎟️ BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE:
https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-2025-townsville-rsl-gala-ball

Come together for a memorable evening while showing your support for our veteran community! 🇦🇺💙

08/10/2026

A huge thank you to the incredibly talented Richie, who was one of our solo performers on the main stage at the Wounded Heroes 24 Hour Challenge!

Richie captivated the crowd with his beautiful performance, with one audience member even describing him as having “the voice of an angel!” 🎶

It was our pleasure to present Richie with a Certificate of Appreciation as a small token of our gratitude for sharing his incredible talent and supporting our mission to help veterans and their families in crisis.

Thank you, Richie, for being part of such a special event! 💙🇦🇺

06/10/2026

Defenceless - Where was the National Advocacy?

Last night’s Four Corners investigation, Defenceless, should concern every Australian — not simply because of the allegations surrounding Veteran Benefits Australia and the apparent systemic failure that allowed these practices to continue. Four Corners reports that DVA had been warned repeatedly about Veteran Benefits Australia for six years. That raises a much bigger question. Where was RSL Australia during those six years? RSL Australia describes itself as a leading national voice for veterans and families, directly influencing the Federal Government and shaping policy and legislation on veterans’ affairs. If concerns about these practices were known within the veteran sector for years, what representations did RSL Australia make to DVA, successive Ministers for Veterans’ Affairs and the Federal Government? What action did it demand? What warnings did it issue publicly? And what did it do to protect veterans, their families and the Australian taxpayer? It is simply not enough, after a major ABC investigation exposes the issue nationally, to condemn the conduct and describe what has occurred as “appalling”.
The veteran community needs its national representative organisation to identify systemic failures before they become Four Corners investigations — and then use their access to government to demand action. This is not just about VBA. It is about oversight. It is about accountability. It is about protecting vulnerable veterans from exploitation. And it is about protecting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars intended for the treatment, rehabilitation and wellbeing of those who served. If DVA knew, government needs to explain what it did. If 'the' national veteran organisation knew, they should explain what they did.
The question now should not simply be, “How terrible is this?” It should be: Who knew, when did they know, what did they do about it — and why was it allowed to continue for six years?
Veterans deserved better than silence followed by outrage after the cameras arrived.
RSL Australia
Four Corners

Send a message to learn more

01/10/2026

🏆 A huge thank you and congratulations to William McPherson, our highest individual fundraiser for the Wounded Heroes 24 Hour Challenge, raising an incredible $5,060! 👏

William’s outstanding fundraising effort will help Wounded Heroes Australia continue providing vital support to veterans, current ADF members and their families in crisis.

To recognise his incredible achievement, we were delighted to present William with 7 nights at Cairns Colonial Resort, along with a gift hamper and a Certificate of Appreciation.

Thank you, William, for going above and beyond for our veteran community. We truly appreciate your amazing support! 💙

30/09/2026

📢 Our Veteran Centre will be closed this Monday for the public holiday and will reopen as normal on Tuesday. 💙

30/09/2026

Come and connect with Wounded Heroes Australia at Land Forces 2026! 🇦🇺

Our team - Gena, National Community Manager; Tom, Community Development Manager; and Major Dave McHenry (Retd.) will be attending Land Forces in Perth from 6–8 October 2026.

If you’re attending too, we’d love the opportunity to have a chat, connect and discuss how Wounded Heroes Australia supports veterans, current ADF members and their families in times of crisis.

📩 Want to connect with our team at Land Forces?
Email Tom at [email protected].

29/09/2026

Join us on 9 October from 7–9am for a FREE Bacon & Egg Banjo and coffee at the Wounded Heroes Veteran Centre.

A huge thank you to IGY6 Foundation for generously sponsoring the morning and supporting our veteran community. 💙 Your support helps us bring veterans, families and the community together over good food, great coffee and even better company.

📅 9 October
⏰ 7–9am
📍 Wounded Heroes Veteran Centre

Come down, grab breakfast and say hello - we’d love to see you!

27/09/2026

🚨 ONLY 5 HOURS LEFT TO DONATE! 🚨

The countdown is on! Donations for the Wounded Heroes 24 Hour Challenge officially close at 5PM TODAY. ⏰💙

If you haven’t donated yet, now is your chance to do your part and help us continue supporting veterans, current ADF members and their families in crisis.

Every donation, big or small, makes a difference. 🇦🇺

👉 DONATE BEFORE 5PM:
https://www.24hourchallenge.com.au/o/wounded-heroes-veteran-centre-team-1

Let’s make these final 5 hours count! 💪💙

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27/09/2026

🚨 LAST DAY TO DONATE! 🚨

The Wounded Heroes 24 Hour Challenge may be over, but there’s still time to make a difference. 💙

Today is the FINAL DAY to donate and support Wounded Heroes Australia. Every dollar raised helps us continue providing immediate crisis support to veterans, current ADF members and their families when they need it most.

If you’ve been meaning to donate, now’s the time! 🙌

💙 Make your final donation here:
https://www.24hourchallenge.com.au/o/wounded-heroes-veteran-centre-team-1

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who walked, ran, donated, volunteered, sponsored and supported this incredible challenge. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Phillip Thompson OAM MP - Serving Our Community Op Shops Of Townsville North Townsville Community Hub For Sale Townsville Buy, Swap, Sell, Give away Townsville City Council Townsville Bulletin Townsville Rotary Markets Townsville Fire Triple M Townsville Mike Carney Toyota Janelle Poole MP Senator Susan McDonald