"Those who fight to defend our country deserve to be honoured in life and in death. Unfortunately, many of our returned servicemen and women of the 20th Century lie in unmarked graves, never receiving the proper commemoration they deserve.
Organisations like the volunteer Australian Remembrance Army do an incredible job identifying and restoring the graves of our fallen through federal financial assistance, but Labor have recently reduced the amount of assistance available.
Yesterday I called on the government to reinstate and supercharge the federal assistance available, so every Australian who served can be honoured in the way they deserve."
Henry Pike MP. February 2025. Parliament House, Canberra.
4BC Radio Brisbane interview,15 June 2026:
https://omny.fm/shows/4bc-drive/why-thousands-of-aussie-war-heroes-lie-in-unmarked-cemetery-dirt
"Two local women have spent six years tracking down 900 forgotten World War I veterans buried in unmarked Brisbane graves to finally give them the honours they deserve. Now, they are uncovering a massive nationwide gap in government funding that leaves thousands more heroes, including underage soldiers, completely forgotten in the grass."
'Real Life With Bel' Podcast, June 2026:
The Cemetery Files
"What happens when history forgets its heroes?
In this episode of The Cemetery Files, I sit down with passionate volunteers Cate Walker and Katrina Trevethan, two women on a mission to ensure Australia's veterans are never lost to time.
Together, they research and identify the unmarked graves of servicemen and women who served our country but were buried without recognition.In Brisbane's Lutwyche and Toowong Cemeteries alone, Cate and Katrina have helped secure more than 1,000 veteran grave markers.
Many Australians walk through historic cemeteries without realising that beneath seemingly empty patches of grass may lie the graves of veterans whose service has long been forgotten. Often, because they died as civilians or did not meet the criteria of the day, their final resting places were left unmarked.
For Cate and Katrina, that's simply not good enough.This episode explores the extraordinary detective work behind uncovering these forgotten stories, the emotional impact of restoring a veteran's identity, and the relentless determination required to make it happen. When grants are available, they apply. When funding runs out, they fundraise. And when there is no money left, they often pay for the markers themselves.
Their work is preserving history, honouring service, and ensuring that future generations know exactly who lies beneath their feet.
Join us for a fascinating and moving conversation about remembrance, sacrifice, and two women who refuse to let Australia's veterans be forgotten."
4BC Radio Brisbane interviews, November 2024:
"Yesterday, we reported on huge funding cuts to a national project that fixes unmarked WW1 graves, so our diggers can have a military plaque or headstone added to their final resting place.
Today, Gary Hardgrave interviews the founders of an incredible organisation called the Australian Remembrance Army, which is in the process of restoring more than 700 of these graves at Lutwyche Cemetery.
But all that great work could be put on hold, not just here, but at cemeteries right across the country with the funding drying up – further delaying recognition for our war heroes that should have been given years ago."
"Shadow Veterans’ Affairs Minister Barnaby Joyce weighs in on the federal government’s funding cuts to a national project devoted to restoring the unmarked graves of 12,000 diggers from the Great War.
Minister Joyce told Gary Hardgrave on 4BC Drive, “We as a nation, owe them at least the dignity of a headstone.”
This is the latest interview in a series 4BC Drive has been running over the last week to bring justice for our resting war heroes who haven’t been given the recognition they deserve."
"Brisbane local Rick Macchetta says it “hit him in the heart” when his great uncles – veterans of the world wars – were given military commemorations on their unmarked civilian graves.
But it was only possible because of a government funded headstone project that has just suffered major funding cuts, delaying recognition for an estimated 12,000 WW1 veterans interred in civilian cemeteries nationally."
https://omny.fm/shows/4bc-drive/absolutely-disgusted-another-family-reveals-hearta
"Brisbane resident Angie Jackson has revealed the difficulty in getting a war grave for her grandfather and uncle who both served in WW1. Ms Jackson told Gary Hardgrave on 4BC Drive, "Why do we have to bash our heads against a brick wall to get recognition?"
"Gary Hardgrave chats with John Brownlie, President of The Headstone Project in South Australia to share his experiences in S.A."
Forgotten WWI Veteran Graves Honoured at Lutwyche Cemetery
01/09/2025
https://chermsideguide.com.au/stories/honouring-veterans-at-lutwyche-cemetery/