As
we rise in darkness on this ANZAC Day like those who have gone before
You are proudly serving us far from Australia’s shore.
You serve beside the Kiwis and others from foreign land
Or you might be on the mighty ocean in our ship of grey
Jan-Maree
Ball OAM
Hello Friday!!!
Another week of Amazing Quilts and Laundry Bags being sent off to our ADF pers!!
I think we can all agree, a great display of quilts and laundry bags, yet again from our amazing volunteers....
Please enjoy!!!
🌟 🌟 🌟
This week we dispatched 16 Quilts which takes our yearly total to 216 and our grand total to 17,806!!
We dispatched 25 Laundry Bags which takes our yearly total to 679 and our grand total is 38,556!!
G’day Clarissa L,
I received my laundry bag from you earlier this year, apologies for the delayed response!
Thank you so incredibly much for the laundry bag and all of the effort that you have put in over the years to bring a smile to the face of people you have never met. It is a very kind gesture and I am immensely appreciative of the laundry bag. Thank you for giving me a memento that I will hold on to for life.
As part of my course I have been living in on base accommodation again, oh the joys. Last week I was walking through the common room with my laundry bag and a few of the other students asked about it, it was very nice to be able to share my deployment story with them. I also explained AHQ and it was lovely to hear the excitement from the students about getting deployed and receiving their own quilt one day!
I am well aware of AHQ and all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make these beautiful quilts, not only through Dad (who said to say hello), but also because of my grandmother Jaquie D. I am not sure if you have met her but she is also a very proud AHQ quilter and she has shared lots of stories and photos of all of the wonderful work she has done. The work that you and everyone at AHQ does is incredible.
Thank you again for taking the time to quilt me a laundry bag, it is beautiful and will be cherished forever.
Kind regards,
Dear Marianne R,
Thank you very much for all the time and effort you put into making my medical quilt. I felt truly blessed when Pello presented it to me. I didn’t get the chance to properly look at it until the next day when I arrived home,
I’ve had a very difficult year, with my farm being burnt out in the January fires. I was on the fireground with the CFA for 51 out of 59 hours in three days during January, working until XXX township was safe. When I finally tried to return home at 2300h that Friday night, my farm was still burning. However, my 20 year old son had protected not only my house but also our two neighbours’ homes. He was meant to be safe in town, but like any Army kid, he didn’t hesitate to step up and put himself in danger when he was needed.
In the weeks that followed, I remained on the fireground or in the Incident Control Centre Logistics Cell, helping with the ongoing fire efforts. I was then fortunate enough to connect with Operation Veterans Assist. They spent a day helping me clear trees on my farm, and I was later able to give back by working alongside them for five weeks, assisting other veterans and first responders in cleaning up their fire-affected homes and farms. After that, I returned to supporting the CFA in the Logistics Cell once again as a volunteer.
I will treasure your quilt from a very tough time in my life. Your quilt represents the love, compassion and caring nature to help support one another when we need it the most. I am truly grateful for your kindness and time spent creating something so meaningful for me.
Please also extend my thanks to your husband and father for their service, and to you for the support you provide them so they can do their job
Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart.
Hey Anne H,
I had received the parcel yesterday and I am still on the deployment in the UK.
Thank you so much for the Quilt. You have done a amazing work.
Little about myself: My family is from Myanmar but I was born in Thailand. My family come to Melbourne, Australia in 2011. I am very grateful for the opportunities that this country has provided me and my family. This is one of my reason to join the Defence. At the moment, I am loving my career within Army, I reckon I will stay a bit more longer.
Thank you again. All the best for you.
Until next week keep your letters, emails and photos coming in. Wednesdays would be so totally boring without them!
🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
Our 15th Anniversary laundry bags have continued their travels. One came home from Korea this week, another is still in Israel, one has even had an adventure with our Navy Divers... photos of that yet to come. For now, here are some more to enjoy!
...........................................................................................................................................
Aussie Hero Quilts has supported HMAS Brisbane and our
ship’s company exceptionally over the past year. Prior to deployment they
generously supplied ready-made laundry bags for our sailors, a practical item
that was greatly appreciated as we prepared to head on an extended deployment.
Furthermore, during our Regional Presence Deployment in
2025, their dedicated volunteers went even further, creating custom-made quilts
for members of our crew. Each handmade piece is a thoughtful reminder that our
sailors are supported and valued by people back home.
Thank you from the Steel Cat, for the time, care and
generosity you have given not just over the past 12 months but over the past 15
years in supporting ADF members and their families. Your generosity and
dedication continue to make a real difference to our people serving at sea.
..........................................................................................................................
These photos are from another recipient who was in South
Sudan. You might not be aware but I am an ex-RAAF Air Traffic Controller who
enlisted at RAAF Base Pearce in over 40 years ago so seeing these photos, some
of them taken outside the Airservices Building feels rather special.
“As you may know I was deployed on Operation Aslan,
Australia's contribution to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, with Dee
(amongst many other fantastic Aussies). After my return to Australia Dee asked
me to contact you regarding my experience with Aussie Hero Quilts.
Prior to deploying on Op Aslan, my first ADF deployment, I
was not aware of Aussie Hero Quilts. My Op Aslan predecessor Dean had been a
liaison with Aussie Hero Quilts and contacted your organisation to support the
15 Aussies deployed in South Sudan in 2024. At this point the 2025 contingent
was aware of the fantastic creations for our predecessors and so we eagerly
engaged with Aussie Hero Quilts. Prior to submitting my request, I spent a few
hours looking through the blogspot website for good ideas and to see what was
possible. I was very impressed and so being a sport mad Aussie, I requested a
sporting themed laundry bag and quilt. After a few months, my items arrived at
my parents’ home back in Australia. Having returned to Australia in late
January 2026 I finally got to see the laundry bag and quilt in person and was
exceptionally happy with the time, effort and love that had gone into creating
them.
As I said earlier, Op Aslan was my first deployment and I
wasn't sure how I would handle the time away from friends and family. I am
thankful to say that after 12 months abroad I fared incredibly well. I think a
large part of this is the incredible support that organisations, such as Aussie
Hero Quilts, provide Australian service personnel. Aussie Hero Quilts is not
alone in supporting ADF personnel deployed - we also received many, many care
packages from other organisations as well as everyday Australians providing
snacks, essential items, creature comforts and most importantly letters telling
us about their lives. We genuinely do feel the support of Aussie Hero Quilts
and wider Australia whilst we are away. For me, and I'm sure others, this was a
great reminder of why I, and we, choose to serve. I am honoured to be a
recipient of the Aussie Hero Quilts volunteers' hard work.
I have attached some photos of me with my Adelaide Crows
Football Club themed laundry bag and Liverpool Football Club themed quilt.”
#YourADF #aussieheroquilts #15yrsofcaringfortheADF #AusNavy
#AusArmy #AusAirForce
To commemorate 15 years of supporting our serving members,
Aussie Hero Quilts proudly provided a
special anniversary laundry bag to be signed and photographed with two
of our Army sporting teams at the recent Open Day at Victoria Barracks. The
occasion was made even more meaningful with the involvement of the Army Rugby
League and Army Rugby Union teams, whose support helped celebrate this
important milestone and the strong connection between sport, service and care
for our people. Pictured with the Army Rugby Union Team is Clarissa, a
long-standing supporter and quilter who also has significant ties to Army Rugby
through her children.
Also pictured with Clarissa is MAJ Liz and the Laundry Bag
that Clarissa made for her back in 2016 when Liz was deployed overseas. Liz is
a massive rugby fan and when she saw the Wallaby on the bag she was stoked!
When writing to thank Clarissa she gave an overview of her ties to both the
Sydney rugby community, as well as Army rugby, and they quickly established
that they had a number of mutual friends from across their rugby circles.
Whilst they have kept in touch throughout the past ten years, this was the
first time Clarissa had seen The Bag in person since 2016. Over the past decade
it has travelled with Liz around the country and the world, as well as to many
exercises and courses.
With the announcements last week of changes to the Senior
Leadership team it is a great opportunity for us to share more photos of our
15th Anniversary Laundry bags. Firstly, congratulations to Vice Admiral Mark
Hammond, currently the Chief of Navy, who will take over the Australian Defence
Force’s most senior role of Chief of the Defence Force in July, replacing long‑serving
Admiral David Johnston, who will retire after nearly five decades in uniform.
Additionally, it was announced that Lieutenant General Susan
Coyle is set to become the first woman ever to lead Australia’s land forces
stepping into the role of Chief of Army, the first woman to command the
Australian Army. Lieutenant General Coyle will replace Lieutenant General Simon
Stuart, who also retires in July.
Lieutenant General Stuart is the first Chief of Army to begin his career
as an enlisted soldier.
The Navy will also see new leadership, with Rear Admiral
Matthew Buckley promoted to Chief of Navy from the position of Deputy Chief of
Navy.
On behalf of all at Aussie Hero Quilts I would like to
extend our warmest congratulations to Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, Lieutenant
General Susan Coyle and Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley on their appointments.
I would also like to thank Admiral David Johnston and
Lieutenant Simon Stuart for their dedicated service, and also for their support
for Aussie Hero Quilts over the years. We wish them and their families well for
whatever their next chapters look like.
.................................................................................................................................................................
Another set of photos from South Sudan today…. We have been
looking after our Aussie Peacekeepers in South Sudan since 2013, in fact, the
team in South Sudan at the time were the first peacekeepers to contact us and
request our support.
“I'm home from South Sudan after a year away. Aussie Hero
Quilts made a beautiful African themed quilt for my toddler. It keeps him warm
in the cold Canberra nights. Thank you for all that you and the team at AHQ do
to support us while we're away from family and friends.”
Till next time.... keep spreading the word and happy stitching!
Jan-Maree xx
