BATTLE OF BRITAIN ‘LACE’
Air Force Association Ltd has donated $5,000 to the Recognising Families Sculpture, a landmark project that will deliver the first public tribute in Australia to honour the families of Defence personnel and veterans.
The bronze sculpture by artist Nina Sanadze will be installed outside Poppy’s Café at the Australian War Memorial.
It portrays a younger mother with her child seated at a table with an empty chair – a moving symbol of love, nurture, duty and the quiet endurance of those who wait, hope and support through absence and sacrifice.
For more than a century, families have provided silent strength and unseen service without formal recognition.
“Families receive no medals nor are there any memorials to us to appropriately recognise the role we played in supporting and then mourning our loved ones who served,” said Jenny Gregory OAM, National President of Australian War Widows (Queensland) and a war widow.
As Australian War Widows national operations conclude at the end of June 2026 (with state divisions continuing their vital work), this sculpture creates a lasting legacy of recognition at the heart of the nation’s memorial.
The project is being delivered under Australian War Memorial governance, with fundraising coordinated by RSL Queensland. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.
The AFA Board supported this contribution as fully consistent with our commitment to the welfare and recognition of veterans and their families.
Members and supporters who wish to add their voice can donate at recognisingfamilies.org.au.