Postcards of Honour bound for veterans this ANZAC Day

“Dear veteran, thank you for risking your life to make ours be better. I truly thank you for serving our country. I cannot imagine life away from my family.  

Thank you for making our world a better place. I hope you have a great ANZAC Day and remember I and other kids will be thinking about you.” 

Last year, this touching message was one of thousands written by children for veterans all over Queensland.  

This year, there’ll likely be many more as Postcards of Honour expands across the nation. 

Learning and commemoration  

More than 200 Queensland primary schools – plus more interstate – are expected to take part in Postcards of Honour in the lead-up to 25 April. 

Students will learn about ANZAC Day from a veteran (an RSL Sub Branch volunteer) face-to-face, then handwrite and decorate postcards recognising past and present Defence members for their service. 

Sub Branches will then display the postcards or distribute them to veterans for ANZAC Day. 

“A beautiful project” 

Defence School Mentor Correna Wheeler from The Willows State School in Townsville says students “loved” last year’s activity, which “created lots of interest in the learning and meaning of ANZAC Day”. 

“Postcards of Honour was fun, informative, creative and very interesting for all students,” Correna says.  

“They enjoyed the opportunity to be creative and write a message to veterans in Townsville.  

“The support from our Sub Branch was wonderful. Their talk and interaction with students was truly amazing. We can't wait to be involved again in 2024.” 

Vale View State School teacher Sarah Coote shared similar feedback. 

“This was such a beautiful project,” Sarah says.  

“We had a Vietnam veteran attend our school and talk to our students. He was just so valuable and has become a special part of our school.” 

“Some had tears in their eyes” 

The postcards had an equally – if not more – positive effect on their recipients, based on feedback from Sub Branches. 

“The veterans at our ANZAC Day service were presented with their postcards by the schoolchildren that made them. Each veteran loved the idea and the thought that students put into making each card,” Kilcoy RSL Sub Branch President Shane Williams says.  

“Some of the veterans actually had tears in their eyes.”  

Postcards of Honour also prompted more veterans to actively commemorate on ANZAC Day, according to Gracemere & District RSL Sub Branch Vice President Malcolm Siegmeier.  

“A lot more young vets marched at our Dawn Service,” Malcolm says. “Many told us it was their first time marching or even attending ANZAC Day and that it was their kids or grandkids’ involvement that changed their minds.” 

Mackay RSL Sub Branch President Ken Higgins OAM is keen to participate again in 2024. 

“We’re looking forward to visiting the schools and interacting with the teachers and children again regarding ANZAC Day,” Ken says. 

Learn more 

RSL Queensland will again supply the materials for Postcards of Honour – including blank postcards, activity booklets and online learning resources – free for participating Queensland schools via RSL Sub Branches. 

Instructions and other educational material will also be available online for anyone to download free. 

For more information, please visit rslqld.org/postcards-of-honour.