Tamworth Legacy is celebrating a huge milestone.
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As of April 9 this year, the group has been supporting veterans' families in the Tamworth area (including Barraba, Boggabri, Gunnedah, Manilla, Narrabri, and Quirindi) for 75 years.
To start their celebrations, the charity is opening an exhibition at the Tamworth Regional Art Gallery featuring several items of historical significance, including a bell gifted in commemoration of the club's founding.
"The bell was the inaugural bell presented by Newcastle Legacy when Tamworth's branch was founded on the 9th of April, 1948," Vice President of Tamworth Legacy Anne Sanders said.
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Ms Sanders said she is proud to be a part of the organisation as it celebrates its long-standing tradition of upholding its promise to "look after the missus and kids" of service members.
"I feel really honoured. I'm working with people who are really knowledgeable service people and I'm learning all the time," she said.
When Legacy first started, it had 50 widows and 105 children to look after, but that number quickly grew into the thousands.
"I grew up with Legacy. My father was a Legatee so I grew up knowing Legacy and it was very much a part of my life," Ms Sanders said.
The exhibition honours that history of service and support to the families of Tamworth's military community.
"It amazed me how much Legacy did and continues to do, so I think it's really important to share the work they do and see how they've impacted the history of a lot of locals," Tamworth Regional Council's Cultural Collector Museums Officer Naomi Blakey said.
Those locals include former politician Tony Windsor, who became a ward of Tamworth Legacy after his father, a former serviceman, was killed in a farming accident.
The exhibition in the Tamworth Regional Gallery will also display Tamworth Legacy's founding charter alongside material from the Film and Sound Archives and works by indigenous artist Treahna Hamm.
The exhibition also shows the role of families and local country music artists in supporting active service members from the home front.
"It celebrates all things to do with Legacy across Australia, but more specifically, Tamworth," Ms Blakey said.
The exhibition will be on display in the Tamworth Regional Gallery from April 14 to June 25.
There will also be a free cocktail party at the museum from 6pm on Thursday, April 13 to celebrate the exhibition's opening.
Ms Blakely said she is very grateful to all the Tamworth regional museums and the Tamworth Legacy club for making the exhibition possible.
However, Legacy's biggest event is yet to come, as the group is now preparing for the official unveiling of their 75th anniversary plaque at the Tamworth War Memorial Town Hall on April 22.
They will also be handing out dozens of rosemary plants free of charge at the dawn service on ANZAC day.
Additionally, Tamworth Legacy will lead the formation of the Anzac Day march on April 25 in recognition of their commitment to Tamworth's military families.
"That's a huge honour for us," Ms Sanders said.
As for the future of the club, the VP said they'll keep going as long as there are veterans' families to support.
"We're gaining a lot more families from ongoing conflicts, and we've really got to support them, so Legacy is absolutely ongoing. It doesn't just end with raising funds on badge day, we have to continue supporting these people and families. There's lots of young families that need support," Ms Sanders said.
She also said that while they have "an amazing team", Tamworth Legacy is on the lookout for more volunteers.
Those interested in volunteering should send an email to tamworth@legacyclubservices.org.au and anyone interested in supporting Tamworth Legacy can make donations or purchase merchandise on their website or in person at their office on Peel Street.
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