This month we were very privileged to be able to celebrate our 70th anniversary with an event at NSW Government House hosted by our Patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC. It was a great opportunity to bring together people who have been an important part of the organisation’s history and catch up. We were also delighted to have Her Excellency present Life Membership Certificates to five longstanding Members of the organisation who have contributed significantly to both the organisation and mental health services.
The celebration of 70 years made me think about what mental health supports looked like in 1955. To reflect on how extraordinary it was for family members and community members to come together, get permission to enter Callan Park Hospital, and run a social dance for people residing there. I was recently speaking with some organisational leaders about this and found a photo of Circular Quay in the Sydney CBD, and noticed how different it was to the view we have today. How far we have come.
The same goes for the supports available for people with mental health challenges. So much more community support is available – though according to recent report of unmet need, so much more is needed. Interestingly, the supports available still reflect the supports the people who first moved into the community from Callan Park asked for – a job, somewhere to live, a safe place to come together and socialise with others (some of the earliest forms of peer support) – pretty much what we all want and need. Unsurprisingly, these are things Flourish Australia still does today, staying true to the legacy of our funders, but also continuing to respond to what people tell us they need and value.
As we celebrate our 70th anniversary we pay tribute to the key people who founded the two organisations which formed Flourish Australia – Richard Hauser, Hephzibah Menuhin (Hauser), John Kingsmill, Dr John Parkinson, Peter Bartok and Agnes Bartok. We thank them for their foresight, as well as their passion and commitment to community living, community inclusion, and the human rights of people with mental health challenges. Thousands of lives have been touched and transformed over the last 70 years due to their early efforts. People have achieved their recovery goals, and their families, kin, carers and supporters have found support, companionship, and encouragement. We are deeply grateful to them for taking those first steps; and honoured to continue the journey, along with you, our supporters.
I hope you enjoy this edition of Flourishing News.
Mark Orr AM
Chief Executive
