Poppy Ball 2024 -
Victoria Barracks, Sydney

About the Poppy Ball

The Poppy Ball for 2024 took place on Saturday 23 November 2024, at Victoria Barracks in Sydney.

The Poppy Ball is RSL LifeCare’s annual fundraising gala. All proceeds support our free services for veterans and their families. ​

The event is a black-tie Cocktail event. Guests enjoyed:

• Drinks and canapes throughout the evening
• A guest performance from John Schumann, iconic Australian singer-songwriter, ex-Redgum and writer of the captivating “I Was Only 19” anthem
• Performances from the Australian Federation Guard Precision Drill team
• Performances from Scots College Pipe & Drum band
• Entertainment from Army Rock Band
• Exclusive access to the Victoria Barracks Army Museum, featuring rare military artefacts

To help our guests make the most of their time at the Poppy Ball, we prepared this set of handy tips!

A glimpse into Poppy Ball 2024

Our MC for the night is sure to keep us in stitches. Mark McConville is a Comedian and Suicidologist, with a master’s degree from Griffith University.  He is now the Adjunct Lecturer at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention AISRAP, based at Griffith University. Mark works at the Laughter Clinic, which is focussed on redefining mental wellness and suicide prevention with a unique approach to self-care that focuses on the physical and psychological benefits of humour and laughter.

A snapshot from the 2023 Poppy Ball

About the venue

The Victoria Barracks in Sydney is a significant heritage site and a stunning display of military architecture.  It is an active base for the Australian Army. Normally, public access is limited to guided tours only. 

Poppy Ball guests will be able to explore the Officer’s Mess and Sergeant’s Mess as well as the beautifully curated War Museum.​

Raising funds for veterans & their families

RSL LifeCare provides free services and support to veterans and family members. Services include career transition support, counselling, financial assistance, DVA application assistance, housing support, wellbeing services and more. All funds raised at the Poppy Ball go towards providing these free services to veterans and their families.

How you can get involved

Bid in the Auctions – Buy Raffle Tickets

Our online auction and raffle is now closed.  We had some incredible prizes on offer and items in our Auctions thanks to our generous donorswho provided signed memorabilia, collector’s items, weekends away, exclusive beverages and more!

Become a Sponsor

All sponsorship packages for Poppy Ball 2024 have been sold. But never fear, if you’d like to be involved with future sponsorship opportunities for RSL LifeCare and our veteran services cause, please email [email protected] for a discussion.

Thank you to our Sponsors 

We would like to thank our sponsors who help us to help veterans and their families in need of support.

Relive the fun from Poppy Ball 2023. 

You can view more photos from last year’s event, click here.

Check out our Facebook and Instagram page and share your pictures with #PoppyBall2024.