About This Story
Our mission
To educate, engage and connect communities through the production of powerful personal digital stories of Australia’s military veterans.
Our Core Values
Storytellers
Facts are not enough. The personal stories of those with a lived experience provides a richness and deep connection with the way we view history.
Humanistic
We emphasise the personal worth of the individual – and personalise history – by empowering every Veteran of every conflict to share their individual stories.
Legacy
It is crucially important for future generations to discern and appreciate the men and women who have served Australia for both who they are and not just what they did. These ‘living legacies’ ensure their incredible stories and personal experiences will live on.
Connection
The stories of our Veterans transcend stereotypes and offer connection through better understanding of the human experience and emotions. We celebrate diversity of opinion and existence.
Changemakers
We aim to change the status quo about veterans suffering in silence. We know that to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health wounds, we need to encourage veterans to talk and as a community, we need to listen.
Our Story
With a passion for documentary film, Jeff interviewed a WWII veteran name David White who had been diagnosed with onset Alzheimer’s disease. As David recalled story after story from his unique perspective during and after WWII, Jeff realised that we as a country were on the verge of losing all of these incredible stories as told by the people who experienced it first-hand.
This Story Australia was initially created to capture the stories of our surviving WWII Veterans. As well as highlighting significant events in Australia’s history, the interview documentaries created a legacy for the veterans, their families and their communities. Put simply, these interview documentaries could ensure our WWII Veterans would never be forgotten. Their legacy would allow both current and future generations to gain valuable insights into the ordinary men and women who did the extraordinary.
Due to the overwhelming, positive response to our WWII Veterans, the project has expanded to include all veterans (past and present).
Our philosophy is that through the sharing of real, personal stories we can connect better as a community and unite as a country. This also provide us with better understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by many veterans throughout their service and upon return to civilian life and with understanding comes compassion.
CEO
Jeff Hughes
Jeff is the co-founder and CEO of This Story Australia. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in History and Drama (film). Jeff has previous experience in broadcast television and feature film in Canada and has worked for over 20 years teaching Drama and Film & TV through high schools, TAFE and Universities here in Australia.
Stepping into the documentary arena was a natural progression and a chance to implement all the strategies and knowledge he has built as a teacher.
Jeff is responsible for the full production of the documentary interviews from the initial contact with Veterans right through the subtleties of post-production.
Board of Directors
Kirsty Claassen
Kirsty has thirteen years’ experience working in community services, at a local government level and in the not-for-profit sector, with a particular interest in understanding brain development and the effect of exposure to trauma. For the past five years she has been working at a local RSL Sub Branch, supporting the welfare of the veteran and senior community. Kirsty is the very proud wife of an Afghanistan veteran, still currently active in the Army reserves.
Lizzy Colston
Lizzy has a strong family link to military service. Her father Alan Brown was one of the first WWII Veterans interviewed by This Story Australia in 2020 and Lizzy’s grandfather was in the Light Horse Brigade in WWI. Lizzy has dedicated her life to the development of young minds in the community having worked in a kindergarten.
Strategic Partnerships
State Library of Queensland
The completed personal documentary interviews from This Story Australia are an important addition to the State Library's expansive collection of wartime resources. These resources aim to deepen our understanding of military conflicts and provide a rich documentary record of life in Queensland.
Gadens
We are proud to partner with Gadens Lawyers in Brisbane for our legal advice. Gadens is a leading law firm with offices in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Their vision is to be a preeminent, independent firm renowned for providing outstanding client service, innovative solutions and value.
