Tim Salau
~ On the Canvas Of Service, 2022
I feared what civilians were like…
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.
It was just before dawn when we met. The sky was dark but alive, the air still, the kind of morning that holds space without asking anything of you. Tim was setting up to climb the rock. Every now and then, the metal of his climbing gear chimed gently into the air. Nothing about the moment asked for attention, but it held it all the same.
He had chosen the site, and it made sense. Not for spectacle—but for quiet. For rhythm. He’d brought a small breakfast basket to share. There was generosity in that gesture.
He told me he’d enlisted young—restless and ready to leave home. He was seventeen when he signed on. His path took him into armoured vehicles to Afghanistan. But the details of his service weren’t what defined our conversation.
What surprised me most wasn’t the timeline of his service, or even the places it took him. It was the way he spoke about what came after—what he had come to understand about the people he once thought he couldn’t relate to. There was humility in that realisation, and something deeply human. He didn’t speak in conclusions—only reflections.
Lance Corporal (LCPL) Ret’d
Australian Army
“I suppose when I was in the Army, I feared what civilians were like and what they stood for. I have been suitably impressed, for the most part,” he said. There was honesty in it. “Some people are doing wonderful things who would have made fantastic soldiers… but they do not need to have been in the Defence Force to come as far as they have or to be good people. That is a really good lesson that I learned.”
The reason he chose to be part of Of Service felt personal, but also intentional. He wasn’t there to challenge assumptions with argument—just to show another version of what a veteran can be. One that isn’t always seen. One that doesn’t fit into a box of care or damage.
“There is a false narrative… that veterans are broken… But a lot of us are in our 20s and 30s. A lot of us have made lives beyond that service.”
There was no heaviness in his voice—just presence. And when the first light broke over the edge of the rock wall, it felt like the story had landed exactly where it was meant to.
© All rights reserved. Based on extracts from: Jenani Therone, Of Service, Australia: Harvest Publishing by House of JT, 2024, pages 597 – 602.
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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.
