Why We Built the Remembrance Collection (And Where the Money Goes)
Private Robert Luke Turner Buckley. AIF. New Guinea Force. Enlisted March 1941.
That photo sits in my mums house. When I was growing up, it was in the lounge room where I saw it every day.
My grandfather, Robert Luke Turner Buckley. He was a young bloke when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in March 1941. World War II. He shipped out to New Guinea as part of the New Guinea Force Battalion, served through some of the hardest jungle fighting of the war, and wasn't discharged until May 1946.
I never got to meet him. He passed long before I came along. But that photo has always been there. And every time I look at it, I think about who that kid was before the war, what he saw out there, and what he came home carrying.
That's the thing nobody talks about enough. The coming home part.
Why I started the Remembrance Collection
I never served. But I have people close to me who did.
My brother spent four years in 1RAR, based in Townsville. One of my closest mates gave 25 years to 152 Signal Squadron. Twenty-five years. That is not a career. That is a life.
25 years. 152 Signal Squadron.
I have never worn the uniform. So I will not pretend I know what it feels like from the inside.
But I have watched it from close enough to understand some things.
I know what it means to have a group of mates you would do anything for. Blokes who know you properly. I am fortunate enough to have 2 that I have known since I was 5 years old... These guys, these are my boys who have been by my side my whole life...
That bond is real even in ordinary civilian life. I can only imagine what serving together does to amplify that. Going through what those blokes go through, in the places they go, alongside the people they go with. That has to create something that most of us will never fully understand from the outside.
And I can see what happens when it ends.
My mate gave 25 years. When that chapter closes, it is not just a job finishing. It is a world finishing. The structure, the purpose, the people who got it without needing it explained. Gone. And then you are back in a civilian life that kept moving while you were away, trying to find where you fit in it.
I cannot fully comprehend that. But I can see it. And I can see that too many blokes end up fighting whatever comes next completely alone.
That is what this is about.
The Veterans Wellbeing Foundation
When I started building the Remembrance Collection, I knew from the start that it could not just be gear. It had to mean something.
So when Peter Kennedy, founder and CEO of the Veterans Wellbeing Foundation reached out to me, and shared his story, I knew this was what this collection was created for.
PK is based right here on the Sunshine Coast. He is the President of Young Veterans Sunshine Coast, a wellbeing officer for Beerwah RSL, and a stakeholder group member for the Veterans Royal Commission. He has given more to this community than most people will ever know.
He shared his story with me, how close he came to meeting his maker...by his own hand, and how hard it was for him to get the help he needed, when he actually needed it. That gap is what matters, the minutes, the weeks before seeing someone that nods along and giving you a "mental health plan".
Pete felt like this was not the best way, and after realising this and battling through it himself, he started VWF to connect with Vets when they need it. Its a fucking inspirational story. Men helping men. Women helping women. People who have been there, get it, and can walk alongside with lived experience.
And here is the part that matters: VWF runs on 100% volunteer effort. No CEO wages. No corporate overhead. No admin fees swallowing donations before they reach the people who need them. Every single dollar goes directly to veterans and their families.
That is the kind of organisation worth backing.
What we have donated so far
To date, AussieAF has donated $1,920.50 to the Veterans Wellbeing Foundation.
That is not a one-off. The donation structure is ongoing and built into every Remembrance Collection sale:
- 10% from every Remembrance sticker sold goes to VWF
- $0.50 from every Remembrance shirt sold goes to VWF
Every time someone orders from the Remembrance Collection, they are contributing directly to a fund that supports the wellbeing of Australian veterans and their families. Not to a marketing campaign. Not to overhead. Directly to the people who need it.
The Remembrance Collection
The collection was built to do two things: honour service and fund support.
Every design is straightforward. No gimmicks. No clever wordplay. Just a clear statement of respect for the men and women who served, and the families who waited for them.
Stickers start at $10.99 each. Grab five and you pay just $8.24 each. Ten or more drops to $6.59 each. Put them on your ute, your toolbox, your front window. Let people know where you stand.
Shirts start at $49.99 each. Buy three and the price drops to $42.49 each. Six or more comes down to $37.49 each.
Every order from the Remembrance Collection contributes to VWF. That is the deal, and it does not change.
If you want to support VWF directly
You can also donate directly to the Veterans Wellbeing Foundation at vwf.org.au.
100% volunteer. 100% to veterans and families. No questions asked about where the money goes.
My grandfather served so that I could build a life I never had to fight for. My brother served. My mate gave 25 years. Blokes like them deserve more than gratitude. They deserve actual support when the uniform comes off and the world goes quiet.
That is what we are trying to contribute to.
The Veterans Wellbeing Foundation (vwf.org.au) is a 100% volunteer-run organisation based on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. AussieAF donates $1 per Remembrance sticker and $0.50 per Remembrance shirt sold, ongoing.
