Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [1984]-

Call Number
Nef 362.86840994 VET
Created/Published
[Canberra] : [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs]
Issue
Vol. 20 No. 3 (December 2004)
Images
12
View Catalogue

Contents

VETAFFAIRS 1
New Veterans’ Affairs Minister 1
DVA cooking program unites WWII veterans 1 , 5
Letters to the EDITOR An entertaining lot 2
Family connection 2
Captured on film 2
Grave tended to 2
Answer to query 2
Planning a trip to Gallipoli in 2005? 2
Accommodation charges changes 2
Harbour Bridge toll exemption 2
New scheme for service personnel 3
Example of benefits under MRCS 3
Pension rate increases 3
Veterans’ Home Care: making life easier 3
New allowance for self-funded retirees 4
New utilities supplement for income support recipients 4
Cross country veterans reunite 4
Changes to income stream asset testing rules 4
New look for concession cards 4
Korean War veterans answer the call 4
Satisfaction with DVA’s services remains high 4
DFISA payments 5
What is a social security income support payment? 5
What is adjusted disability pension? 5
Income Support Supplement assessment for war widows 5
Vetaffairs on the internet 5
Changing of the guard at DVA 5
F-111 health study released 5
Focus on rehabilitation 5
New manager for war graves in PNG OFFICE OF AUSTRALIAN WAR GRAVES 6
Calendar remembers 1945 6
Advertising 6
Increased rent assistance for war widows and widowers 7
Protecting your identity 7
How to avoid identity theft 7
Sugarcane farmers to benefit from new scheme 7
Cowra recognises 60th anniversary of break-out 7
DVA closed for Christmas-New Year 7
Veterans living longer and stronger 8
Light beer has an appeal THE RIGHT MIX 8
Range of glasses available 8
Increasing awareness of medicine usage 8
Christmas cheer and old mates 8
New DCs for WA and Tasmania 9
Discovering memorials around Brisbane 9
Passing of WWI veterans 9
Medals lost and found 9
news from the AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL 9
Off the shelf 10
Increased travel allowances 10
Day Club opens in Dandenong 10
Reunions 10
DVA reaches out to WA veterans 11
Creative veterans 11
Golf brings veterans together 11
Tasmanian veterans have gone fishing 11
Up-to-date information on pensions 11
Advertising 12

Text

VETAFFAIRS  

Vol2o No  

DECEMBER 2004  

NEWSPAPER FOR THE VETERAN COMMUNITY  

ISSN 0819-8934  

New Veterans’ Affairs Minister  

The Federal Member for the  

Queensland seat of Dawson,  

De-Anne Kelly, has been  

appointed as the new Minister  

for Veterans' Affairs.  

Mrs Kelly said she was  

honoured to be joining the  

Ministry as the Minister for  

Veterans' Affairs.  

“Our veterans are respected  

by all Australians who also have  

great affection towards them,”  

she said.  

“I have great deal to learn in  

this portfolio and am trying to  

meet as many veteran groups as  

can to hear their advice and  

concerns.”  

Mrs Kelly was elected to the  

House of Representatives in  

1996 and from October 2003  

was Parliamentary Secretary to  

the Minister for Transport and  

Regional Services and  

Parliamentary Secretary to the  

Minister for Trade.  

Mrs Kelly was brought up on  

her family cattle property, and  

was taught primary school at the  

kitchen table by her mother.  

She went to secondary school  

in Rockhampton, and won  

scholarship to study electrical  

engineering at Queensland  

University.  

After graduating she worked  

as an engineer and then, with  

her husband Roger, bought  

small manufacturing business.  

Seven years later they bought  

cattle property at Dingo and lived  

in shed with their baby son.  

These days Mr and Mrs Kelly  

own and operate cane farm at  

Mirani, in the Pioneer Valley  

near Mackay.  

Their son, lan, is now 16-  

years-old.  

Mrs Kelly's appointment as  

Minister for Veterans' Affairs is  

ground-breaking achievement  

as she is the first female  

National Party member to be  

given ministry.  

She also was the first woman  

for the National Party to be  

elected to the House of  

Representatives.  

Mrs Kelly replaces Danna  

Vale as Veterans’ Affairs  

Minister. Mrs Vale held the  

portfolio from November 2001  

and also served as Minister  

Assisting the Minister for  

Defence from November 2001  

to September 2003.  

“I really do want to be the vet-  

erans’ own Minister and hope  

that can keep faith with this  

wonderful group of veterans and  

their families,” Mrs Kelly said.  

New Veterans’ Affairs Minister  

De-Anne Kelly.  

DVA cooking program unites WWII veterans  

When Bill Hill and Bert  

Feben were introduced at  

Cooking for One or Two class  

being run by the Department of  

Veterans’ Affairs, they did not  

immediately realise their close  

World War II connection.  

Then Bert noticed Bill was  

wearing HMAS Warramunga  

badge and remarked, “You  

must have seen us (HMAS  

Australia get smashed up  

by suicide planes”.  

union was instantly  

formed.  

It turned out Bert was in the  

heavy cruiser Australia during  

WWII, while Bill served in the  

destroyer Warramunga.  

Both warships were part of  

Task Force 77.3 (Close Cover  

Group) that made night entry  

into Leyte Gulf in October  

1944 for the Allied liberation  

Bill Hill and Bert Feben met at the Cooking for One or Two  

classes.  

of the Philippines.  

What is even more  

remarkable about this chance  

meeting is that both men served  

as signallers on their respective  

ships and, during their service,  

most likely exchanged  

messages without knowing  

each other's identity.  

Bert and Bill met up again  

after their cooking class and  

have spent much time  

exchanging details and talking  

about people relating to their  

WWII service in the Navy.  

Dominating discussion has  

been the events of single day  

21 October 1944 the day  

that Australia was attacked in  

Leyte Gulf by Japanese  

'kamikaze' aircraft. Thirty  

crewmen were killed or died of  

wounds and 53 were wounded.  

Each veteran tells the story  

from different perspective  

and each has been keen to learn  

more about what the other saw  

and how he felt on that day.  

Bert was in the Australia  

when it was hit, while Bill was  

on watch in the Warramunga  

and saw the attack.  

“I was on the bridge as  

watchman on the morning of 21  

October 1944 and all of sud-  

den saw great fire  

thought it was an ammunition  

dump,” Bill said.  

“A few minutes later we knew  

Australia had been hit.  

“We stayed where we were  

until we received signals to go  

to Australia' aid.  

“Warramunga took on the  

wounded and escorted the  

Australia to Manus Island to  

get repaired.”  

Bert’s experience was quite  

different.  

“It was just coming dawn and  

was asleep when Australia  

was attacked,” Bert said.  

“I was on the deck and  

remember 'fizz' noise all  

around me. Many around me  

were showered with petrol.  

was luckily sheltered from the  

spray.  

“Action stations was called  

and started sending signals out  

to let others know of what was  

happening, and signals were  

coming in.  

“I remember one particular  

message from the signalman in  

another ship asking if his son  

who was in Australia was OK  

he was.”  

Bert and Bill both reminisce  

about Captain Emile  

Dechaineux, who was mortally  

wounded when Australia was  

hit. He had previously been the  

commanding officer of  

Warramunga.  

After Australia was repaired,  

the ships linked up again. In  

January 1945 at Luzon, in the  

Philippines, Australia was hit  

by five more kamikazes.  

Another 44 crewmen were  

killed and 69 wounded,  

however, Bert had left  

Australia by this time.  

Finding each other some 60  

years after the war has offered  

both men clearer picture of  

their pasts and rekindled the  

naval bond.  

“It is overall an amazing  

coincidence that we met up at  

the cooking class and we have  

reconstructed so much  

together,” Bert said.  

“It is interesting to have  

struck someone who was at the  

same place but in different  

situation.”  

Bill said the pair shared  

definite bond.  

“Being part of the Navy is  

like family,” he said.  

“We are like ships passing the  

night an interesting  

interlude.”  

On the cooking front, the pair  

learnt few tricks to use in the  

kitchen  

“The cooking class has  

opened my eyes to the  

attraction of cooking,” Bill said.  

“I'm more eager to cook  

something the classes  

inspired me.”  

Bert said the classes gave him  

chance to try expanding his  

cooking skills.  

Continued Page 5.  

Cite

Citation options:
Work identifier

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706

APA citation

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. (). Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, Retrieved April 24, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706

MLA citation

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Canberra]: [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], . Web. 24 April 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706>

Harvard/Australian citation

Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. , Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs, [Dept. of Veterans' Affairs], [Canberra] viewed 24 April 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  | author1=Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs.
  | title=Vetaffairs / Department of Veterans' Affairs
  | year=
  | section=v. : ill. ; 35-40 cm.
  | issn=0819-8934
  | issue=Vol. 20 No. 3 (December 2004)
  | location=[Canberra]
  | publisher=[Dept. of Veterans' Affairs]
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1113914706
  | id=nla.obj-1113914706
  | access-date=24 April 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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