Veterans Centre Mid North Coast

To provide opportunities for peer to peer support, mentoring and social networking and to raise awareness of veteran issues among the local community.

PATRON FOR THE CENTRE

Mark Donaldson, VC (born 2 April 1979) is an Australian soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross for Australia, the highest award in the Australian honours system.

Then Trooper Donaldson, was a member of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) when he exposed himself to enemy fire to protect injured troops and then rescued an interpreter under heavy enemy fire in the Battle of Khaz Oruzgan during Operation Slipper, the Australian contribution to the war in Afghanistan.
He was presented with the medal by the Governor-General of Australia, Quentin Bryce, in a ceremony in Canberra on 16 January 2009. On 25 January 2010, Donaldson was named the 2010 Young Australian of the Year. He was promoted to corporal in June 2010.
Corporal Mark Donaldson, VC has graciously agreed to be the patron for the Veterans Centre Mid-North Coast.

Whilst Mark was born in Waratah (Newcastle), NSW on 2 April 1979, his formative years were spent in the Dorrigo NSW area so we claim him as a local boy! Having graduated from high school in 1996 he joined the Australian Army on 18 June 2002.

Mark is married to Emma and has a daughter, Kaylee and a son, Hamish. He has written a memoir of his life called The Crossroad which was published by Macmillan in 2013. Emma describes him as being “married to the army”. Donaldson says of himself: “I don’t see myself as a hero, honestly. I still see myself as a soldier first and foremost. ”