By Hannah McNamara
Long after their uniforms were folded away, the toughest fight many veterans faced was the one that no one could see.
Founder of the Veterans Support Group Mackay, Mr. Sean O'Mara OAM is a Vietnam Veteran and former area representative for North Queensland Veteran Affairs. He said that before the late 90’s, veterans had little to no support and were forced to deal with troubling flashbacks and emotions that lingered through their minds, even years after serving in the war.
“Returning back to civil living and trying to live a normal life was a battle in itself that our soldiers faced, and it is one that at many times, they had to face alone,” Mr O’Mara shared.
He would often receive phone calls from veterans struggling with suicidal thoughts and in response, Mr O'Mara would personally travel to meet with them, providing face-to-face support during their time of need.
Despite facing his own mental battles, the veteran was on call to the 24-hour line with a sole focus on supporting others. He would often visit veterans in psych wards and soon realised the lack of resources and support that was absent in the community for those who served.
It all started with $10, a newspaper ad and a genuine desire to make a difference by creating a safe space for fellow veterans.
In 1997, Mr. O’Mara founded the support group for Vietnam Veterans by placing a $10 ad in the local paper that simply read, "Vietnam veterans wanting to meet for a cup of coffee.
“The first meeting was held on the 10th of July, 1997 at the salvation army,” Mr O’Mara said.
“Three came along for the first meeting, then four, and as time went on, numbers just kept growing.
“Not long after I said that we needed a bigger place.”
Mr O'Mara approached the Council with a request to cover the rent for a day at Packstons Wharf in Townsville, and they agreed to pay the rent, only if he could get 20 veterans in.
“So, we got 20 veterans, then 30, and it just kept growing.”
Around the year of 2000, the group were eager to get a place of their own, so Mr O’Mara went to the state member at the time, Tim Mulherin, who also happened to be a family friend of his.
“Tim Mulherin said ‘yeah, I’ll give you a hand’… so eventually we got a lease and it was a bare block of land.”
Mr O’Mara then went to the minister of housing at the time, whom fortunately enough, he also knew.
He was provided with a commission house that was originally marked for demolition to make way for high-rise buildings. This left him with two houses but no funds to move them onto the land he now owned.
He later applied for an additional grant, securing enough funding to relocate the houses.
All the veterans were brought in, and together they dug the holes and offered a hand to help with the reconstruction. Once the houses arrived, a grant was secured from Veteran Affairs to fund the refurbishment.
The veterans restumped the houses and replaced the roof, with help from a friend who was a plumber. The Rotary Club supplied paint, Woollam polished the floors, and Porters, along with various businesses and community members, contributed to the project.
Mr O’Mara said “I think just about everyone I knew; I’d knocked on their door and said ‘can ya help’.
“And basically, here we are today.”
‘Veterans Assisting Veterans’ was their logo, and The Mackay Veterans Support Centre was officially opened by the Member for Mackay at that time, Tim Mulherin MP on the 4th of September 2004.
In 2008, Mr O’Mara was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his efforts of building the Veterans Support Group.
Now in its 20th year, the Veterans Support Group Mackay stands as a place where veterans and their families can meet and socialise to enhance their lifestyle by breaking down social isolation.
Mr O’Mara hopes to pass on the centre to the younger veterans and notes that the group has a strong sense of camaraderie. Members come together around the table, enjoying biscuits, coffee, or a light beer, and, “Solve the world’s problems,” while supporting and uplifting each other in an environment where they feel truly heard and valued.
Founder of the Veterans Support Group Mackay, Mr. Sean O'Mara OAM. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara and supplied
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