A gala afternoon of fabulous vintage Christian Dior hats, food and bubbles will be held on Saturday 25 July in Melbourne as a fundraiser for Friends of Bangka Island.

Funds raised will go towards supporting the purchase of vital blood processing equipment by the Muntok Red Cross on Bangka island, Indonesia.

This project commemorates the close ties forged with the people of Bangka Island and is in memory of the 21 Australian Army Nurses killed on Radji Beach, Bangka Island during WWII nearly 85 years ago, those lost at sea after the sinking of the Vyner Brooke, and those who endured the prison camp.

Hats for Humanity will be held at The Duckboard Function Centre, Building 140, Repatriation Hospital Waterdale Road, Gate 9, Heidelberg from 2pm-5pm.

The 50 hats on show come from a collection of more than 700 Christian Dior hats provided by Arlene Bennett, former president of the Australian Nurses Memorial Centre.

Ms Bennett began collecting them about 12 years ago after falling in love with her first hat, a lovely floral blue hat decorated with delicate Lily of the Valley.

The afternoon will also include some brief speeches, short videos of Bangka Island and the Muntok Red Cross and traditional Indonesian dancing, afternoon tea, a display of artwork by the children of Muntok, a raffle, silent auction and more.

"In addition to the Weary Dunlop Foundation donation the Centrifuge Project has received support from the Wangaratta RSL and Masonic Lodge, the 41 Club of retired police, military and first responders, audience donations after performances of the play 21 Hearts about the Australian Army Nurses, donations from nurses' and civilian internees' families and other generous people who support the regular Muntok Red Cross Garage Sales," Ms Bennett said.

Judy Balcombe, who recently spoke about her work with the Friends of Bangka Island at the Wangaratta RSL earlier this month, attends the Bangka Island Memorial Service in Muntok each February 16, which is planned by Friends of Bangka Island.

She is also a member of the Heritage Committee of the Australian Nurses' Memorial Centre with Ms Bennett.

The ANMC was started by Vivian Bullwinkel and Betty Jeffrey after WW2 and gives valuable post-graduate nursing scholarships in Australia.

In 2017, Australian Army Nurses came to the Bangka Island Service and held hands and walked together into the water, as Vivian Bullwinkel said the nurses did before being shot.

Australian Army Nurses do attend the service today and 12 nurses are expected to come to Muntok next February with the Australian College of Nursing.

"My own connection with Bangka Island is because my grandfather died as a civilian internee in August 1944," Ms Balcombe said.

"I have visited each year since 2011 and am co-founder of the Muntok Peace Museum, http://muntokpeacemuseum.org

"This was built in 2015 initially to remember the civilian prisoners who died in prison camp and who are now buried under houses and a petrol station."

Vivian Bowden, Australia's official representative to Singapore (Ambassador), was murdered in Muntok on February 17 1942 and his son, former Australian Ambassador to Pakistan and Iran, helped to build the Muntok Peace Museum in memory of his father.

The museum now remembers all war victims in the area.

"We have established close ties with the local people in Muntok who help us considerably in maintaining the Peace Museum and in arranging the memorial service," Ms Balcombe said.

Friends of Bangka Island have helped the Muntok Red Cross since its beginning in 2020, at the start of covid, purchasing a covid transport ambulance, defibrillators and now fundraising to help buy a centrifuge and other vital blood processing equipment.

The blood is used in surgery, dialysis and especially in treatment of very sick children with Dengue Fever.

"I see with great interest that Weary Dunlop was born in Wangaratta," Ms Balcombe said.

"The former Weary Dunlop Foundation closed last year and gave $21,000 to the Muntok Red Cross, which Arlene and I were asked to administer.

"This donation helped to buy the defibrillators for the Muntok Red Cross and is now helping towards the Centrifuge Project.

"We hope to be able to purchase the equipment by next February, the 85th anniversary of 1942.

"We are holding the Hats for Humanity fundraising event at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital on Saturday afternoon July 25, with information about Bangka Island and the work of the Muntok Red Cross, afternoon tea and a showing of some of Arlene's wonderful 700 vintage Christian Dior Hats.

Tickets are available through Trybooking Hats for Humanity and all are very welcome to attend.

Sister Vivian Bullwinkel worked at the Heidelberg repat after the war and Robert Winther, the Veterans' Liaison Officer is the former chairman of the Weary Dunlop Foundation.