Public artwork to honour Canberra’s ‘Soup Kitchen Lady’
Stasia Dabrowski (1926–2020). Photo courtesy of the National Australia Day Council.
Garema Place will welcome a new sculpture that recognises Stasia Dabrowski, a volunteer who fed thousands of vulnerable Canberrans.
Stasia (1926–2020) ran a mobile soup kitchen from a corner of Garema Place for almost 40 years.
The artwork to honour her is part of the ACT Government’s recognition of notable Canberra women through public art.
Quiet, tireless work
Those in need of a good meal – or even just a hug – knew they could rely on Stasia.
Every Friday night between 1982 and 2018, she served homemade soup, bread and drinks to the hungry.
As well as paying for and serving the food, Stasia put in the hours preparing it.
She would babysit and clean houses to earn enough to buy the ingredients. On Thursdays, she would peel and cook 180 kilograms of vegetables to get ready for the next day.
By 2000, Stasia was providing several hundred loaves of bread and at least 100 litres of homemade vegetable soup. She would feed over 300 people each Friday night.
Supporting Stasia
By 2005, the Friday night crowd grew to 500. Stasia’s grandson Josh Kenworthy came onboard to help.
“My Nan was a humble soul who shied away from publicity and just wanted to lend a hand. That’s how she was brought up – that you just help people. She was always giving and always asking if people needed anything,” Josh said.
Eventually, some Canberra-based organisations supported Stasia’s personal generosity.
The Snow Foundation was among these.
“Our family has much love and admiration for Stasia. Terry first met her in 2006 and the memories of her will always stay with him. She was a true hero whose unwavering dedication to making a difference in helping the city’s most vulnerable was inspiring. A statue and recognition of Stasia’s tireless work in the community is a wonderful tribute,” Snow Foundation CEO Georgina Byron said.
Celebrating Canberra’s ‘Soup Kitchen Lady’
The ACT Government committed $300,000 for an artwork celebrating the achievements of a significant woman, by a female or gender diverse/non-binary artist/s.
Stasia seemed an obvious choice.
The announcement follows the commissioning of a statue of the late Honourable Susan Ryan AO.
This will be unveiled in the Senate Rose Garden later this year.
A tender process will open soon to engage an artist to create the artwork honouring Stasia.
The sculpture will be completed and installed in Garema Place in early 2026.
“It’s great, the statue is something that will be there forever in Garema Place and this way, Nan’s work will definitely be remembered,” Josh said.
Stasia won numerous awards and accolades for her charity work. These included:
- 1996 Canberra Citizen of the Year
- 1999 ACT Senior Australian of the Year
- 2017 ACT Local Hero of the Year
- carrying the Olympic torch.
Stasia, however, remained humble about the work she was doing.
“I never keep photos because I am not proud… the soup kitchen is a simple thing, people cooking veggies, nothing special,” she said at the time.
More information
More information on the public art commissioning process is available from artsACT.
Call 02 6207 2384 or visit arts.act.gov.au/public-art
Stasia Dabrowski at the National Portrait Gallery, 2008. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery.
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