Stephanie Fraser
~ On the Canvas Of Service, 2022
I am learning more about myself…
Sometimes, you meet someone for the first time and there’s a pause—like you’ve already known them in some other place, some other form. That was what it felt like with Steph. She didn’t need to explain who she was. She just arrived fully herself, and somehow familiar.
I knew she worked with clay, and there was something about that image that stayed with me. Not the idea of her shaping clay, but the sense that she was in the middle of shaping something of herself—again, or maybe for the first time. That’s what it felt like, even before she said anything.
As we spoke, I saw the layers of her journey begin to unfold. There had been another life she imagined once. A different direction, full of movement and discipline and rhythm. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional figure skater.” That image felt far from where she sat now—but not lost, just left behind. A voyage on the STS Young Endeavour showed her another way forward, and after finishing school in 2007, she joined the Navy.
She talked about her time in the Navy with precision, but not distance. It wasn’t about what she did—it was about how it felt. The details came softly, and so did the memories. What stayed with her were the small, shared things. The things that don’t show up in official records, but live in people’s bones.
Content Advisory:
The following story contains personal reflections from an Australian veteran that may include themes of trauma, war-related experiences, mental health struggles, and suicide. These narratives are shared with deep respect and the intent to honour service, foster understanding, and offer hope to those facing similar challenges.
If you are feeling distressed or need support, we encourage you to reach out. Help is available.
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Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14 (24/7 crisis support)
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Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling: 1800 011 046 (24/7 support for veterans and their families)
Please proceed with care and compassion.
Petty Officer Combat Systems Operator Underwater (POCSO(U)) Ret’d
Royal Australian Navy
When we turned to her transition out of service, her voice slowed. “The transition from defence to civilian life is profoundly challenging… not just because of physical injuries but because of the mental state it induces.” She was honest about what it meant to lose the framework, the community. “I’ve had to learn, as a 34-year-old, that making friends is hard work and takes so much time.”
Then she said something I still carry:
“I am only just becoming more comfortable with my own personality and who I am now.” Not new, just uncovered. She wasn’t trying to go back. She was learning how to be here, now.
She’s not reassembling who she was. She’s reshaping something new. And it’s already taking form.
And as I listened, I didn’t feel like I was hearing a story end.
I felt like I was watching something begin.
© All rights reserved. Based on extracts from: Jenani Therone, Of Service, Australia: Harvest Publishing by House of JT, 2024, pages 577 – 584.
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The content featured here is extracted from Of Service, the original fine-art publication by Jenani Therone. It is reproduced with permission from both the author and the publisher. All rights are reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without explicit permission.
