Legacy Australia: Bankstown residents supporting war widows and families
You might not know their names, but three Bankstown residents have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to champion and support Australia’s war widows and families. Read about their inspiring work here.
The Express
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Alan was only seven-years-old when his father passed away from malaria after he served as a private during World War II in Borneo and New Guinea.
While his father’s death left his family distraught, Alan now wants to give back to the charity Legacy who helped his family get back on their feet after a difficult few years.
Alan Rawlison has served the Bankstown community since 1995 as a Legatee and was the chairman for the Bankstown southwest Sydney branch from 2011 to 2022.
Now 73-years-old, Mr Rawlinson said Legacy looked after his family by providing financial support for dental, education, legal advice and assigning a Legatee – volunteers who work with families to provide support and friendship.
“They were a family adviser and by no means a replacement father but a male figure who gave support to my mother and us kids whenever we were running a muck,” he said.
In his current role as secretary for the Bankstown branch, Mr Rawlison works closely with widows from WWII in the area to offer support and a “simple chat”.
“One widow had macular degeneration (a chronic eye disease) and Legacy helped to pay for those injections and I helped her review her war widow pension for a new application and she was accepted,” he said.
“We also help children in these younger generations as the veterans come home and they’ve got mental disorders and it’s sad because they don’t know and they become abusive but we provide help and support to families.”
Mr Rawlison said he joined the Bankstown branch to “give back to Legacy what they did for me”.
“I don’t hesitate, I always step up to the plate when something needs doing,” he said.
For Christine Kingston, her father served in WWII and also died from malaria – leaving her expectant mum with four kids while pregnant, soon to be five.
Ms Kingston, 74, said she wanted to give back after Legacy stepped in and helped her mother get a mortgage and purchase a home.
“The volunteer work means a lot to me, it keeps his (her father’s) story alive and his and my mum’s memory alive,” she said.
Ms Kingston joined the Bankstown branch seven years ago and is the treasurer for the southwest division and meets every Tuesday morning with the Bankstown war widows to have a chat and help with fundraising.
“I help the women with their war widows pension and it’s heartwarming to hear their stories,” she said.
Darrell Buckman, 71, also joined the Bankstown branch seven years ago as he “always wanted to give back” after Legacy helped his family when he was only six-years-old.
As a Legatee, Mr Buckman looks after up to 15 war widows in Bankstown and lends a hand during any fundraisers and barbecues.
Now, all three Legatees are waiting for July 20 when the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay will arrive in Bankstown to honour Legacy’s mission and honour the sacrifices made by our veteran’s families over the last 100 years.
“It’s an honour we are getting the torch to come to our area and very proud it’s coming into the Bankstown area,” Ms Kingston said.
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