Growing up on a farm in Delaney’s Creek, Queensland, Davina Mansfield learned early what it meant to work hard, stay connected and look out for others. With both parents serving as Northern Territory police officers, a spirit of service ran through every part of family life.
‘My mum and dad were both serving members over there. My brother and I were born in the Northern Territory, and before school we moved to Delaney’s Creek, where I spent my whole teenage life. We had Pony Club, we had outdoors on the cattle farm, and we had custard apples. We’d spend our weekends up trees helping Mum and Dad pick fruit to send to the Sydney market,’ she says.
Those years built the foundation of community that has shaped her ever since.
‘I think even being a Girl Guide and doing different things where you’re part of a team and contributing to the community … When you come from a small community, it’s really important to pull together when the going gets tough. People showed up and did what was within their capacity to pay it forward.’
That habit of pitching in continued into adulthood.
‘My mum volunteered at the local Blue Light Disco … Now I volunteer for school sporting clubs, and I know my brother does as well. We’ve always just gravitated towards leaving things better than we found them if it was in our ability to do that.’
Finding her way to Defence
Service became personal after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001.
‘I’d already had my initial interview with Defence Force Recruiting in Brisbane prior to 9-11. The minute you watched the planes go into buildings; it brought terrorism to our door. Knowing that people I cared about would end up there fuelled that fire – I had something to contribute … If they were going, so was I.’
Paul Singer, Soldier On CEO and host of the Saluting Their Service podcast, shares his own memories of that day.
‘I was alongside in HMAS Anzac in Bahrain on our way out of a Damask 10 deployment. We were due to head home and September 11 happened … It prolonged our deployment in the Middle East. Very strong recollections of that particular day.’
Soon after, Davina was in uniform.
‘Super lucky to spend Christmas at Kapooka. Hot in Wagga over Christmas time. We got the afternoon off to listen to the Army Band play some sick beats down at the oval and then everyone off to church the following day. We were allowed gifts and letters from home.’
Life in and beyond the uniform
Over the years that followed, Davina’s career took her around Australia – and, later, into a new chapter supporting Defence through industry. What remained constant was her belief in resilience and connection.
‘Resilience is underrated … Finding your purpose, knowing what good looks like for you, and being proud of that is so important,’ she says.
Her recent work continued that purpose: equipping Defence personnel through industry roles.
‘Defence is my first true love … To equip our war fighters with the right thing, at the right price, at the right time – that’s why I get up every day.’
Carrying service forward
Davina’s reflections in Saluting Their Service remind listeners that the values forged in Defence continue long after transition.
‘Time in uniform is just one chapter. Step into the next with every asset Defence has given you … Find your purpose and know there’s a whole community cheering for you.’
Paul says stories like Davina’s capture what service truly means. They show how ‘courage, adaptability and community spirit extend far beyond active duty – shaping families, workplaces and futures across Australia’.
Listen to Episode 3 of Saluting Their Service – Contemporary Voices of Bravery, featuring Davina Mansfield (pictured above during a proud moment with Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, who serves as Patron-in-Chief of Soldier On) now available on Spotify and YouTube.
To learn more about Soldier On’s work supporting veterans and their families and to double your impact during the 2025 Remembrance Day 48-hour Matched Giving Campaign until 8 am on Thursday 6 November, visit fundraise.soldieron.org.au/2025remembrance-matchedgiving
