Artist Donald James Waters with his artwork to be auctioned.
A series of military-themed artworks, created by a renowned contemporary Gold Coast artist 30 years ago, and thought lost in a storage fire, will be auctioned by the RBWH Foundation at its annual Military Dinner to raise money for exemplary patient care initiatives and medical research.
The Military dinner on Friday 6 October, 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, featuring 12 prints by contemporary Australian artist Donald James Waters. The original oil paintings were commissioned in 1993 for a Legacy Brisbane calendar and exhibited at Canberra’s Parliament House.
The Jacobs Well artist said 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 déjà 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.
“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.”
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.”