Our Patron
Commander 3rd Brigade, Brigadier David McCammon DSM and Bar
Homebase for the Veteran Community in Townsville
1 Staging Camp Ave, Oonoonba. Drop-in M-F 0900-1500, after hours upon booking
All closed on W/E and public holidays, unless booked.
[for GPS apps you may have better luck with 20 Darter Street, Oonoonba until actual is recognised on all platforms]
Tony Jones
I am one of the directors and use my Air Force and life experience to work together with the other Board members to achieve the vision and goals of the Oasis.
I served in the permanent Air Force for 37 years with two postings to Townsville. My first tour here was as an Air Electronics Officer on the Neptunes with No 10 Squadron. It was during this posting that I met and married Pam, a beautiful Charters Towers girl, then returned several years later as the CO of No 27Squadron. I was fortunate to have three overseas postings to both Malaysia and Indonesia, serving as CO of the Combat Support Squadron at Butterworth and later as Air Force Attaché in Jakarta. Since my transfer to the Air Force Reserve in 2010, I have continued to work as the Director of the Indonesian Air Force Safety Assistance Project.
The Oasis aspires to work with veterans and their families to provide assistance in both the move from Service to civilian life and in those times when they need help following that transition. I understand the sometimes complex and confusing experience this transition creates, and although I was fortunate to receive support during that time, not everyone is as lucky as me. I want to use my skills and expertise to contribute to the Oasis so that all those serving members who leave the ADF in our region have the opportunity to do so safely and successfully.
I am most proud of my family. My wife has been with me throughout my career, moving around Australia and overseas, being by my side through the good times and the bad and in the process sacrificing her own career. Our two boys who have been to too many schools to mention, both in Australia and overseas, always having to leave friends and family because of my postings. Despite these challenges, they have grown into independent and successful men who we are enormously proud of.
Our family has had too many fantastic experiences during our lives together, living and travelling both within Australia and overseas to highlight any one event. Since retirement from the permanent Air Force, Pam and I have travelled extensively with many of our close friends and again too many great memories and experiences to just name one or two. I will have to say retiring in Townsville is the best decision we have ever made and we both love it here. We delight in our three beautiful grandchildren which is a pleasure only grandparents can appreciate.