A life-sized sculpture of Canberra’s ‘Soup Kitchen Lady’ Stasia Dabrowski has been unveiled in Garema Place, close to the spot where she fed people in need every Friday night for more than three decades.

Created by artist Louise Skačej, the sculpture commemorates the Polish immigrant and long-time volunteer, who ran her mobile soup kitchen in Garema Place from 1982 until 2018. Dabrowski died in 2020.

Each week she prepared homemade vegetable soup, bread and drinks for people in need, as well as providing companionship and practical support. By 2000, she was serving more than 300 people each Friday night, with the number growing to about 500 by 2005.

Dabrowski initially funded the operation herself, babysitting and cleaning houses to pay for ingredients. Every Thursday she would peel and cook about 180 kilograms of vegetables in preparation for the following night’s soup kitchen, which was eventually supported by several Canberra organisations.

Her community work earned her numerous honours, including Canberra Citizen of the Year in 1996, ACT Senior Australian of the Year in 1999 and ACT Local Hero of the Year in 2017. She was also an Olympic torchbearer.

The ACT Government announced the $300,000 sculpture project in 2024 and selected Skačej for the commission last year. Skačej worked with Dean Colls, Isabeau Colls and Mads Hillam, with Australian sculptor Peter Corlett as mentor.

The sculpture forms part of a government program to increase the representation of significant women in Canberra’s public art collection. New Ngunnawal Dhawura artworks, including four illuminated poles and a seat featuring laser-cut totems and stories, have also been installed in Garema Place.

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