Riding for a cause

Veteran suicide is a cause that’s close to Andrew Sutherland’s heart. The Vice President of Finch Hatton RSL Sub Branch served in the Navy and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 as part of Operation Slipper. 

“Since then, we’ve lost three shipmates. A lot of good guys are going for no reason,” Andrew says. 

Andrew also chairs Raise Awareness for Veteran Suicide Mackay, which organises the annual Rally Against Veteran Suicide (RAVS) event. Starting in Mackay and driving or riding through the picturesque Pioneer Valley to Finch Hatton – a small town about 60km inland from Mackay – RAVS aims to connect with people through common interests. 

“It’s mainly to get common ground and get people talking. The more people that can talk, the more chance we have of making it one less person,” Andrew says. 

More than 800 service personnel have died by suicide since 2001, and Andrew hopes events like RAVS will help to bring the issue out into the open. 

“If we can save one person from doing something they’ll regret, that’s what our aim is – that one person.” 

Andrew says RAVS is also helping to raise awareness of the broader issue of suicide in the community. 

“We had guys join the ride who had no affiliation with veterans at all, but wanted to support the cause, because we know suicide isn’t just a veteran problem,” he says. 

“So, they’re supporting the suicide awareness of what’s going on in our community, because we’ve lost teachers, we’ve lost farmers and we’ve lost kids.” 

A growing tradition 

RAVS has brought together more people than ever to raise awareness of veteran suicide. In 2019, the first RAVS event at Mackay – held by local veteran Donald ‘Wombat’ Laird – attracted more than 80 people.  

Then, after a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19, the event raised more than $5,000 in 2021 to support veterans and their families in the Mackay district. This year, 110 people attended the rally on 30 July. 

The event started with a service at the Mackay RSL, where three wreaths were laid – one for Vietnam veterans, one for peacekeepers from 1941 to the present day, and one for modern soldiers. Then the group, including several families, took to their bikes and cars to ride through the scenic Pioneer Valley.  

They were welcomed at Walkerston RSL Sub Branch with a barbecue lunch before finishing at Finch Hatton RSL Sub Branch, where they enjoyed live music, food trucks and a bouncing castle for the kids. Around 30 visitors spent the night camping at Finch Hatton. 

“It’s a great atmosphere, and provides an opportunity for veterans and their families to come and stay the night on the Sub Branch grounds,” Andrew says. 

For the past two years, RAVS has been a joint effort between Finch Hatton RSL Sub Branch and Mackay RSL Sub Branch, with the Mackay Sub Branch being a major monetary sponsor alongside Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal and AMX Superstore. 

“Apart from being a great local event for veterans and an opportunity to support and engage with the community, the Sub Branch supports this event because it’s a cause that we believe in.” 

A small but mighty Sub Branch 

Finch Hatton RSL Sub Branch connects three rural townships just north of Mackay. With just 41 service members and 11 auxiliary members, the Sub Branch provides the ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services for the towns of Finch Hatton, Gargett, and Pinnacle. 

Sub Branch members are active in the communities beyond commemorations, sharing their experiences and engaging with locals and students.  

“I visit schools and present to the students on what it was like to be in the Navy,” Finch Hatton RSL Sub Branch President Tammy Sprott says. 

Members also sell raffle tickets to fundraise and engage with the local community, and the Sub Branch supports the Pioneer Valley Agricultural Show Society – the biggest one-day show in the area.  

“At the show we host Real Mates Talk and the Classic Cars Show, where many of the proud owners are veterans,” Tammy says. 

It’s hoped that through these engagement activities, the local veteran community knows they can turn to the Sub Branch when they need help.  

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