50+ stories for 50 years

This year marks Philanthropy Australia’s 50th anniversary! For five decades, our community has championed philanthropy, driving positive change across Australia. As an organisation, we have continued to grow, evolve, and thrive thanks to you—our members, both past and present.

In 1975, the Association of Australian Philanthropic Trusts was created by Meriel Wilmot-Wright of the Myer Foundation, and Patricia Feilman of The Ian Potter Foundation. In 1988, a paid membership secretariat was established, and the organisation was renamed the Australian Association of Philanthropy (AAP), changing once more in 1997 to Philanthropy Australia, to reflect the evolving purpose of the organisation.

Your opportunity to take part

As we celebrate this milestone, we want to honour the memories, achievements, and moments that have helped shape our sector. We are currently collecting photos and stories to showcase in our anniversary celebrations throughout the year. We will also publish a 50 years photo gallery and new stories about our shared history.

Whether you’ve been with us since the early days or have joined recently, your experiences are an essential part of our history, and we want you to be involved. Dig through your archives, scan photos, and check old annual reports for anything else that will ensure our shared history is celebrated.

To submit, please fill out our submission form, making sure to include any names, dates or any other relevant details.

Alternatively, contact Jes Teubert at [email protected] with your photos and story ideas.

We’re keen to hear from you with stories and photos from your organisation, the sector and even PA events from 1975 to 2025,

Thank you for being part of our journey over the past 50 years.