Join us for your chance to own a piece of military-themed artwork, set to go under the hammer at the annual RBWH Foundation Military Dinner, Friday 6 October.

The 12 prints by contemporary Australian artist Donald James Waters (pictured below, right) were donated by Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) cancer patient Mick Ward (pictured below, left) in gratitude for the life-extending treatment he has received over the past fifteen years. 

“South Australian doctors gave me 12-16 weeks to live in 2007 so I moved up to be with my son in Brisbane, but RBWH doctors had other ideas,” said Mick Ward.

 “I’m still alive and going to last another ten years, I tell you.”

The Military dinner celebrates the power of collaboration between Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) and Australian Defence Force (ADF) and is open to anyone with an interest in military health and medical research.

“For more than 150 years, RBWH and ADF have worked together to achieve life-saving research and patient care which translates from hospital to the battlefield,” said the RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske.

“Their knowledge-sharing has an extraordinary impact on the lives of servicemen and women, now and into the future.”

A highlight of the evening will be the artwork auction. The original oil paintings by Donald James Waters were commissioned in 1993 for a Legacy Brisbane calendar.

The Jacobs Well artist said he believed the paintings and a large number of prints were lost in a storage fire.

“To see this set coming out now and being put up for auction was de ja vu, I was stepping back 30 years,” said Mr Waters.

“I don’t want accolades, I am just happy to see the money going to helping great causes.”  

The online auction is now open and it is hoped the series could remain intact, given the interest in their discovery.

RBWH cancer patient Mick Ward donated the prints to the Foundation in gratitude for treatment that has extended his life expectancy. Mick was gifted the prints almost 15 years ago.

Ms Garske said it was fitting that artwork created to raise awareness of Australia’s military past and to raise funds for military families, was again supporting a cause with close ties to ADF.

“Everyone loves a great mystery and this rates highly,” said Ms Garske.

“These artworks were created with passion to commemorate our military history, and will once again raise funds, this time to advance patient care and life-saving research, such as RBWH research with military applications.”