War Widows Day 2024
A message from Australian War Widows Inc.
Australian War Widows National President Jenny Gregory (far left) with Northern Territory war and defence widows
National War Widows Day 2024 was held on 19 October, with commemorations and events held around Australia.
This year War Widows Day was also celebrated for the first time in Darwin, Northern Territory, as well as Melbourne and Wangaratta in Victoria.
The Northern Territory Government and the Minister for Veterans, Jinson Anto Charls, hosted an afternoon tea for war and defence widows at Parliament House in Darwin. Our National President, Jenny Gregory, was honoured to attend this special occasion.
A cappella group The Velvetones entertain participants in Wangaratta.
In Victoria, Wangaratta held an afternoon tea for war widows from the surrounding area supported by the Wangaratta RSL Auxiliary. In Melbourne, a small group of war widows attended a high tea at the Sofitel in the city.
Queensland celebrated the day for the third year since its formal recognition by the Queensland Government in 2022. War widow groups across the state gathered for luncheons and day outings throughout October to commemorate the day. Once again, iconic landmarks were lit up in blue and white in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville, and the Australian War Widows Queensland banner was proudly displayed on Caxton Bridge in Brisbane’s CBD.
In Western Australia, war widows celebrated National War Widows Day with a well-attended luncheon at Fraser’s Restaurant in Kings Park, Perth. In the Australian Capital Territory, 50 war widows celebrated the day with a lunch held at the Canberra Services Club in Barton. In South Australia, a service to commemorate the day was held at the Repatriation Hospital Chapel in Daw Park, followed by a luncheon.
In New South Wales, the third War Widows Day service was held at The Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney, followed by a luncheon.
Commissioner Gwen Cherne, the Veteran Family Advocate, and war widow Jenny Ware at The Cenotaph in Martin Place, Sydney
National War Widows Day celebrates the resilience and tenacity of war and defence widows and is also a sombre reminder of their service partners’ sacrifice for our nation.
As our founder, Jessie Vasey, once said: ‘We must show the general public that we remember, otherwise how can we expect them to do so?’ While war widows carry the memories of their loved ones every day, Jessie believed in the importance of making this visible to the public. War Widows Day is a powerful reminder of the profound loss experienced by families of those who served Australia and who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Jessie would be very proud to see war widows coming together to support each other and to celebrate Australian War Widows Inc., the organisation she founded 79 years ago.
Attendees at the Melbourne event
War Widows Day in Townsville
Marjorie Askew and Margaret McRoberts attending the Day in Western Australia.