At an April meeting of the local historical society, two women stood up to tell a story that wasn’t theirs to live — but one they had volunteered to carry. Bev Fairburn and Gail McQueen stepped in for Jan-Maree Ball OAM, founder of Aussie Hero Quilts, whose ill health had prevented her from attending. What followed, by all accounts, was the most moving talk the society had heard in recent memory.
Among the most affecting elements of the April presentation were the letters of thanks received by Aussie Hero Quilts. Written by service members who had received a quilt or laundry bag, they described, in plain language, what it meant to be remembered. The quilts on display demonstrated the extraordinary skill of the organisation’s volunteers.
The stress carried by Defence Force members — during service and after — is, as the talk made plain, routinely underestimated by civilian life. Anxiety, isolation and the difficulty of transition are common; public acknowledgement is inconsistent. What Aussie Hero Quilts offers is something different: not policy, not funding, but hours of another person’s hands, working on your behalf.
The society’s next meeting falls on Saturday, 9 May, when two speakers will address the history of agricultural shows in the district. Jenny Bradley will examine the Galston & District Flower and Agricultural Show — held in the 1890s at what is now Hayes Park — drawing on society archives and the story of her grandfather, exhibitor and show organiser A. J. Hitchcock. Murray Wilton, general manager of the Sydney Royal Easter Show and a Glenorie identity, will then trace the Royal Easter Show’s past and future trajectory.
On Saturday, 13 June, garden authority and society member Judy Horton presents the life of local stonemason Joe Booth — another craftsperson whose work, like Ball’s quilts, holds a community together long after the hands that made it have moved on.
Meetings are held at the Galston Uniting Church, School Road, Galston, starting at 2.00 pm. Admission is free, with a gold coin donation for afternoon tea. Enquiries: Michael Bell, 02 9653 1365.
