We have an active veterans’ affairs type meeting here every month and an outside group called “Buddy Up” that sends two of their volunteers in.
Sometimes they bring in a guest speaker. One monthly get-together is for all veterans: regular, Reserves, Australians, New Zealanders, Poms and other foreigners. Lately we have had a German soldier, a Canadian and Croatian soldier and one Chinese soldier.
It’s no different than a normal day in any RSL club Australia-wide. The prison management is all for it and support it as it doesn’t hinder the outside visitors monthly attendance.
We have annual ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services at our very own war memorial built by the prison’s work party, all under the supervision and design of prison officers who themselves are veterans. The opening of our memorial was in time for ANZAC Day 2025.
The PR people of Serco excelled themselves, inviting pollies, dignitaries and other prisons’ Superintendents, along with RSL and Veteran Affairs big-wigs.
The prison had over 40 vets, officers and crims in attendance. After the opening we all trooped off to a indoor/outdoor meeting hall where one and all intermingled. A BBQ run by two fellas – one Navy cook and one Airforce catering officer – turned out bacon, eggs, sausages, hamburgers and heaps of fried onions, which supplemented the salad, sweets and small Cokes the prison kitchen put out. Our canteen supplied cool drinks, coffee and a cheese platter.
It was the best meal I’d had in prison ever.
Those visitors from outside have probably gone away with the idea prisoners are spoilt for choice of food after that.
That one year was the first and last BBQ get together with that quantity of food we are likely to see. But it was a good day and all the prisoner vets appreciated the gesture and feed.
We have an active veterans’ affairs type meeting here every month and an outside group called “Buddy Up” that sends two of their volunteers in.
Sometimes they bring in a guest speaker. One monthly get-together is for all veterans: regular, Reserves, Australians, New Zealanders, Poms and other foreigners. Lately we have had a German soldier, a Canadian and Croatian soldier and one Chinese soldier.
It’s no different than a normal day in any RSL club Australia-wide. The prison management is all for it and support it as it doesn’t hinder the outside visitors monthly attendance.
We have annual ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services at our very own war memorial built by the prison’s work party, all under the supervision and design of prison officers who themselves are veterans. The opening of our memorial was in time for ANZAC Day 2025.
The PR people of Serco excelled themselves, inviting pollies, dignitaries and other prisons’ Superintendents, along with RSL and Veteran Affairs big-wigs.
The prison had over 40 vets, officers and crims in attendance. After the opening we all trooped off to a indoor/outdoor meeting hall where one and all intermingled. A BBQ run by two fellas – one Navy cook and one Airforce catering officer – turned out bacon, eggs, sausages, hamburgers and heaps of fried onions, which supplemented the salad, sweets and small Cokes the prison kitchen put out. Our canteen supplied cool drinks, coffee and a cheese platter.
It was the best meal I’d had in prison ever.
Those visitors from outside have probably gone away with the idea prisoners are spoilt for choice of food after that.
That one year was the first and last BBQ get together with that quantity of food we are likely to see. But it was a good day and all the prisoner vets appreciated the gesture and feed.
