A new national voice for war widows
War widows and veteran families at the Australian War Memorial
A message from the Families of Veterans Guild
Eighty years ago, Australia’s war widows came together in the aftermath of the Second World War to advocate for recognition, rights and each other. What began as a small community guild soon became a powerful national movement, one that advanced advocacy for war widows across Australia and secured meaningful engagement with government.
In June, Australian War Widows Incorporated (AWW Inc.) unfortunately closed. Since 2017, AWW Inc. has operated with 5 member states. Following the voluntary winding up of War Widows South Australia in December 2025, the national guild has determined that it can no longer meet the requirements to continue as an incorporated association.
On 1 July 2026, the Families of Veterans Guild (the Guild) became responsible for leading national advocacy efforts for Australian war widows following the closure of AWW Inc.
This is a significant responsibility, and we take it on grounded by the Guild’s founding purpose: to advocate for the dignity and needs of war widows and their families, and to ensure their legacy and contribution continue to be recognised. This reflects the vision of Jessie Vasey CBE OBE, who first brought the war widow community together, and which remains central to our work today.
The Guild, Australia’s longest standing and largest remaining war widow’s organisation, has been proudly supporting and advocating for war widows in NSW since 1946, and has long welcomed members from across the country into its community.
As AWW Inc. concludes its operations, our priority is to ensure war widows continue to have a strong national voice. We are committed to providing stability, continuity of support and ongoing service provision to the war widows’ community following the closure and to ensuring that advocacy on the issues that matter continues without interruption.
We acknowledge the longstanding contribution of AWW Inc. and all of its presidents and leaders over the last 78 years. The legacy they leave behind is a powerful one, and the Guild remains committed to honouring that legacy as we continue to connect with, advocate for and support our war widows.