TIM Sullivan is a man who loves history and particularly the stories of our involvement in wars.

Not just those of the soldiers, sailors and airmen but of the extended families, the connections, the minutiae and memorabilia that give a wider picture of the experiences often held in the “shoebox” in the back of a cupboard undiscovered until a death.

Many nodding heads at the annual Defence Widows Support Group lunch at the CIT Restaurant affirmed what Sullivan said about the importance of all aspects of creating the Australian War Memorial’s comprehensive approach to storytelling and the intent to put people first in their continuing collection. And what a formidable collection it is, with now in this digital era the need for a different approach to collecting and collating.

The big stuff is important, too, with a Bushmaster PMV used in Afghanistan and a Chinook – not the salmon but the helicopter – soon to take up residence at the AWM.

For all the ladies who come together for this lunch from different organisations and affiliations such as Legacy’s BB – that’s baby boomers – the War Widows Guild, the RSL and TPI membership, the pleasure in the company of like-minded and supportive friends is an annual event always keenly anticipated and enjoyed.