Jessie Vasey
November 29, 2016
If you wandered through Kings Park on Monday 21 November, you may have noticed a large group gathered around the Flame of Remembrance. Perhaps you even wondered what the occasion was, since Remembrance Day has come and gone. It’s likely you didn’t know that most of those present were war widows, although the Governor of Western […]
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April 20, 2016
As Australia commemorated the ‘centenary of Anzac’ in 2015, I listened with interest to the range of responses expressed both privately and publicly. I heard outspoken opposition to the Anzac commemorations and equally angry reactions directed at those who dared to question the Anzac legend at all. Between the two ends of the spectrum were families […]
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April 6, 2016
Paying My Respects
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This time last week, I stood beside a stranger’s grave. He felt like family. He wasn’t. Not even a distant relative or ancestor. Let me backtrack a little. My daughter and I spent Easter in Cairns, catching up with family and enjoying the tourist attractions. We walked through rainforest and ate fish and chips by […]
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After almost eight years of researching, interviewing, drafting and editing, my manuscript is finally beginning to look like … a book. A little recap in case you missed it: In November 2007, I agreed to write the story of the War Widows’ Guild in Western Australia. In doing so, I discovered a courageous group of women whose […]
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