Politics · Australia · 3 hrs ago
Victoria Barracks sale carries a human cost for veterans, psychologist says
The Australian government is selling Sydney’s Victoria Barracks, a site with a long history in army life.
An Australian Army veteran and clinical psychologist says many veterans are grieving the loss and feel they were not consulted.
About 500 people are preparing to leave by Christmas, according to the opinion piece.
The defence minister says keeping the site for defence would cost about $200 million over the next decade, while selling 67 properties is expected to raise billions.
For many veterans, the barracks are tied to their identity and service, including generations who trained and worked there.
The author argues that losing the site without having a say may deepen veterans’ distrust and sense of powerlessness.
The sale may also affect how young Australians view military service, because pride and belonging can influence whether people join and stay.
An Australian Army veteran and clinical psychologist says the sale of Sydney’s Victoria Barracks is causing grief and a sense of abandonment among veterans.
The government says keeping the barracks as a defence site would cost about $200 million over the next decade.
The sale is part of a wider plan involving 67 properties that is expected to raise billions.
About 500 people at the barracks are packing to leave by Christmas.
The psychologist says the barracks have helped shape soldiers’ identities and that losing the site may deepen veterans’ mistrust of the government.
- Who
- Veterans affected by the sale, and the government selling the site.
- What
- Victoria Barracks is being sold. A psychologist says the decision has a human cost for veterans.
- When
- The article was published on October 29, 2026; people at the barracks are packing to leave by Christmas.
- Where
- Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Australia.
- Why
- The government says keeping the barracks as a defence site would cost about $200 million over the next decade. The psychologist says the site is deeply tied to veterans’ identities and belonging.
The government
Veterans concerned about the sale
Cost
The government
Keeping the barracks as a defence site would cost about $200 million over the next decade.
Veterans concerned about the sale
The psychologist argues the decision’s human cost should also be counted.
Sale
The government
The wider sale of 67 properties is expected to raise billions.
Veterans concerned about the sale
Veterans are angry and grieving over the loss of a place tied to their service and identity.
The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide handed down its final report.
The psychologist says veterans they know have repeatedly expressed anger and grief about the sale.
About 500 people at Victoria Barracks are expected to have packed to leave.
- Site
- Victoria Barracks, Sydney
- Cost to retain as defence site
- About $200 million over the next decade
- Wider sale
- 67 properties
- People packing to leave
- About 500
- Departure deadline
- By Christmas
What people are saying
Places like Victoria Barracks are where soldiers’ identities are built.
I’d ask the government to look at its own spending and count the full cost of this decision, not just the dollars.
Attachment to place is real, and losing a place bound up with who you are can be grieved much like losing a person.