History

History

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For 53 years The Australian Father’s Day Council, together with the people of Australia, has celebrated the outstanding role and contribution of fathers in their family and community life through the Australian Father of the Year award.

Click here to view previous award winners

How it all began

The Father’s Day Council was formed in 1957 by the Chairman of David Jones, who on a visit to New York witnessed a ‘Father of the Year’ lunch and was so impressed by the idea he formed The Father’s Day Council.

The aim was to promote Father’s Day as a special day and to encourage people to honour their fathers with a focus on the welfare of children. Each year, the funds raised at the Father’s Day Lunch were donated to various charities associated with children.

The first Australian Father of the Year was presented to Sir Edward Hallstrom in 1957. Sir Hallstrom was integral in the establishment of Taronga Zoo.

During the Vietnam War in the 1960s, the Father’s Day Council arranged parcels of donated goods to be sent to Australian soldiers in Vietnam. This was arranged through a Brigadier Bill Young who was stationed at Victoria Barracks. The parcels included tobacco, cigarettes, cigars, books and men’s clothing.

In 1988, Australian Father of the Year, Sir David Martin, with local school children planted a grove of Waratahs – one for each Australian Father of the Year – and unveiled a plaque at Banjo Patterson Restaurant in Gladesville.

After almost 40 years, the Father’s Day Council decided to cease activities in 1996, due to time and administrative constraints. Dr Bruce Shepherd, the proud Australian Father of the Year 1991, learned of the intent and intervened.

So in 1998, the Father’s Day Council joined forces with The Shepherd Centre. That same year, the Australian Father’s Day Council united with Cumberland-Courier Newspapers, to begin the search for the NSW Community Father of the Year.

The current Father’s Day Council comprises Maurice Newman AC (Chair), Sir James Hardy OBE, Michael Shepherd, Anthea Green, Margaret Wangmann, Robyn Quinn and Fiona Boxall. The Council meets throughout the year to oversee the annual initiative with the support of The Shepherd Centre.