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It started with an embrace...
In 2015, during a theatre performance, a simple yet powerful moment of a wife supporting her returned veteran moved a solider attending the show so completely that he left the show at intermission, rushing home to embrace his own wife.
This profound recognition sparked a mission to acknowledge the thousands of families who share a similar journey, honouring the quiet, often unseen sacrifice of standing beside someone in service.
A sculpture to families at the Australian War Memorial would finally give form to their enduring resolve and love for their veteran. We invite you now to support the final step of this journey.
If you can, please donate.
The families of our veterans serve too.
Major General Stephen Day DSC AM
The sculpture.
The Recognising Families Sculpture embodies the enduring strength of the thousands who persevere under the weight of absence. The families, parents, partners, and children who serve without salute, standing resolutely beside their loved one in service.
When their veteran steps up, so too do they in the love they show, the support they give, the hope they hold, and the quiet sacrifice they make to ensure the continuity of home life.
The Recognising Families Sculpture will be situated outside Poppy’s Café at the Australian War Memorial.
About the artist.
The stories.
The Burns family
The Shingles family
The Dufficy family
A strong military tradition runs in Annie Dufficy’s family with her grandfather serving with the Torres Strait Light Infantry Battalion and her father in the 2nd/4th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (2/4 RAR). Whilst serving in her early years, Annie welcomed her son into the world. He grew up with her in uniform, and even as a young child, his strength and resilience during the times she was away helped carry her through the hardest and loneliest days.
Major General Stephen Day DSC AM
MAJGEN Day served in the Australian Army for 40 years, including conflicts in Africa, East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has been formally recognised for his leadership by the Australian, French, and United States governments. Founder of the Recognising Families Commission, Stephen shared that, “Families of veterans carry a burden every gram as heavy as those in uniform, yet their service is rarely recognised.”
Queen Dunbar
Queen Dunbar, Families of Veterans Guild State President, is a mother and war widow herself and knows she doesn’t stand alone. Her husband Adam enlisted in the Army in 1996, reaching the rank of Major in the Artillery Corps before transferring to Intelligence and medically discharging in 2015 due to his PTSD. He saw active duty in the Solomon Islands in 2003, in Iraq in 2006, and in Afghanistan in 2011. Adam passed away in 2017.
About the Recognising Families Committee.
A dedicated committee has been working towards creating a meaningful acknowledgement for families of veterans. This sculpture will acknowledge the grief and anguish often experienced by ADF families and reflect their remarkable resilience, strength, dignity, and pride alongside their hopes for the future.
Major General Stephen Day DSC AM served in the Australian Army for 40 years, including conflicts in Africa, East Timor, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He has been formally recognised for his leadership by the Australian, French, and United States governments.
In 2015, he left the full-time Army to work in business, principally with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He advised boards and executives on leadership and the developing cyber threat. In 2018, he was asked to return to full-time duty and work for the Prime Minister in leading the national drought response.
Stephen continues to serve part-time as a mentor to Army Brigade commanders and is the author of the current ADF Doctrine on Leadership. He has served on several boards, including The Sporting Wheelies, The University of New South Wales Cyber Centre, and ACT Cricket. He was elected as RSL Queensland State President in 2021.
Queen is the member nominated State President at Families of Veterans Guild and sits on the board of directors.
Commencing her role in 2022, Queen is a war widow herself. Her husband Adam enlisted in the Army in 1996, reaching the rank of Major in the Artillery Corps before transferring to Intelligence and medically discharging in 2015 due to his PTSD. He saw active duty in the Solomon Islands in 2003, in Iraq in 2006, and in Afghanistan in 2011. Adam passed away in 2017.
She is a mother to two teenage children, Joshua and Sarah, a high school English teacher and a has more than 20 years’ experience as a flight attendant. She comes from an extensive line of strong women. Queen has found her home at Families of Veterans Guild, inspired that all women are empowered to live their best lives, no matter their circumstances.
Jenny joined Australian War Widows (Queensland) following her husband’s death in 2013, becoming Queensland State President in 2016 and National President in 2022.
Jenny holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Nursing) and a Graduate Diploma in Health Services Management. She has extensive experience in aged care, giving her strong insight into the challenges faced by widows preparing for residential care. Through her work with people living with dementia, she became the inaugural President of Alzheimer’s Australia ACT (now Dementia Australia) and later worked as a nurse educator specialising in dementia care.
Jenny’s husband was an Army veteran who served in Malaya, Vietnam and Singapore before establishing a successful private investigation business.
As National President, Jenny is deeply committed to working with the National Council to advocate for and support all defence and war widows. Her vision is for all Australian states to formally recognise National War Widows Day each year on 19 October, the birthday of founder Mrs Jessie Vasey.
Narelle has been a member of Australian War Widows (Queensland) since 2008 and is currently the Convenor of the Brisbane West & Lotus Club War Widow groups. As a retired lawyer, Narelle has extensive experience in corporate law and estate administration. Narelle holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Griffith University) and Bachelor of Law (QUT).
Appointed in November 2025, Melinda Coen is responsible for the development, management, preservation, research, logistics, display and accessibility of the Memorial’s National Collection and the strategic direction of the Branch.
She has been the Head of Collection Services since 2018. With more than 25 years’ experience, she is a collection management specialist and has held senior positions in Registration and collection management in leading cultural institutions including the Arts Centre Melbourne, the Australian National Maritime Museum, Art Exhibitions Australia and the National Museum of Australia. In these roles she managed the storage, documentation, display, loan and movement of many nationally and internationally significant collections.
Laura has worked at the Memorial since 2006, appointed Head of Art in 2018. She has extensive experience with public sculpture, most recently Alex Seton's For Every Drop Shed in Anguish and Charles Robb's Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel.
Other major projects include Angelica Mesiti's First World War Centenary commission A hundred years; the Anzac Centenary Print Portfolio: Official War Artist commissions including Megan Cope to the Middle East, Susan Norrie to Iraq, Ben Quilty to Afghanistan, and Jon Cattapan to Timor-Leste; and key exhibitions including Ben Quilty: After Afghanistan, Perspectives: Jon Cattapan and eX de Medici and Sidney Nolan: The Gallipoli series. She was co-curator of the Art in Conflict touring exhibition.
Thank you.
Through your valuable contribution, you’re recognising the strength, sacrifice and hope of those who serve without being seen or saluted. Thank you for helping to honour their unique resilience by supporting the Recognising Families Sculpture – an enduring tribute to the unseen side of service.
