Collective Reminiscence or Senior Activism? The Role of Veterans' Groups in Victoria

Abstract

The formation of interest or pressure groups representing older people is increasing in Australia. Following the American model, the new groups have a primary focus on financial matters and state explicitly that they will act politically on behalf of their members. Ex‐service organisations for veterans on the other hand, have existed for many years and formed in a different context. As a contribution to the commemorative year this paper, through a State survey, documents a small part of their history, and reviews the role and function of veterans' support groups in reference to these new aged group developments. The paper also looks at expression of intergenerational support for the veterans' groups by surveying a group of younger people's attitudes and understanding of them. The results indicate that the veterans' support groups, despite variation in some characteristics, have implicitly acted in the same manner as the political aged interest groups. Also, contrary to the groups' beliefs, there is intergenerational support for them, although a revised marketing strategy is recommended to enhance that support.