Stasia Dabrowski, a much-loved local volunteer who ran a mobile soup kitchen feeding thousands from a corner of Garema Place, will be honoured with a new sculpture in the city.
Every Friday arvo in Garema Place from 1982 until 2018, she dished out homemade soup, bread, and drinks to people in need. She was also known for giving out plenty of hugs. Stasia had a big task – every Thursday, she’d peel and cook 180 kilograms of veggies to prep for the Friday night lineup. To make ends meet, she babysat at night and cleaned houses during the day to scrape together enough to buy the ingredients.
Word soon got around, and by 2000, she was serving up several hundred loaves of bread and at least 100 litres of homemade veggie soup to over 300 folks each Friday night. By 2005, the numbers swelled to 500, and soon her grandson, Josh Kenworthy, was there to lend a hand. He remembers her as a humble soul who didn’t seek the limelight; she just wanted to help out.
“My Nan was a humble soul who shied away from publicity and just wanted to lend a hand. That’s how she was brought up – that you just help people. She was always giving and always asking if people needed anything. It’s great, the statue is something that will be there forever in Garema Place and this way, Nan’s work will definitely be remembered,” says Josh.
Stasia’s personal generosity eventually got support from a bunch of local Canberra organisations, including the Snow Foundation.
“Our family holds Stasia in high regard. Terry first met her in 2006 and she left a lasting impression. She was a true hero whose unwavering dedication to making a difference in helping the city’s most vulnerable was inspiring. A statue and recognition of Stasia’s tireless work in the community is a wonderful tribute,” says Georgina Byron, CEO of the Snow Foundation.
“Stasia Dabrowski had a tough life herself. Growing up without running water, wood or gas for heat or food in a Polish village before WWII left her with a strong desire to lend a hand to others. Many Canberrans benefited from that compassion.”
Stasia received numerous awards for her charity work, including Canberra Citizen of the Year in 1996, ACT Senior Australian of the Year in 1999, and ACT Local Hero of the Year in 2017, and even carried the Olympic torch. Despite this, she remained modest about her work.
“I never keep photos because I am not proud… the soup kitchen is a simple thing, people cooking veggies, nothing special,” she once said.
The ACT Government has put aside $300,000 for an artwork celebrating the achievements of a significant woman, to be created by female or gender-diverse artists.
This comes after the announcement of a statue honouring the late Honourable Susan Ryan AO, to be unveiled in the Senate Rose Garden later this year.
A tender process will soon open to select an artist to create the artwork honouring Stasia. The sculpture is set to be finished and installed in Garema Place by early 2026.
Minister Tara Cheyne said it was an easy decision to honour Stasia, recognising her huge contribution to many of Canberra’s most vulnerable.
More information on the public art commissioning process is available from artsACT on 02 6207 2384 or on the website at www.arts.act.gov.au/public-art
