History
Celebrating our Centenary in 2012
Open Minds celebrates 100 Years of Service in 2012. This year will see a number of events and initiatives to mark the centenary and remind us of the programs and support that have been provided to the Queensland community during the last hundred years. Most importantly, we will be sharing the stories of the people who have played an important role in the organisation. Below, you can read a quick summary of our history. You can also view a timeline here. The full version of our history document can be downloaded as a PDF file here.
All of this is only the start of the story though. We want to hear from you. To share your memories of Open Minds or the Queensland Wattle League please phone Tom Roberts on (07) 3896 4246 or fill out our contact form.
Our History
The story of the past hundred years for Open Minds is one of major change and re-invention. It is a story that is inextricably linked with Australian and world events as well as the growth of the city of Brisbane. It is a story that involves well known Queenslanders and a large number of unsung heroes.
The organisation was formed as the Queensland Wattle League in 1912. It established Wattle Day as a key date in the Brisbane calendar and raised funds by selling wattle sprigs and badges. The money initially provided a scholarship for sculptor Daphne Mayo to study in London. On her return, she enjoyed a remarkable career that is still celebrated today. A second scholarship was later given to Robert Percy Cummings who went on to be Emeritus Professor of Architecture at the University of Queensland. During the first and second World Wars, money raised on Wattle Day was used to support returned servicemen and their families.
A few key individuals played a central role in making the League a success. Not least, was Mrs Marie Campbell who served as the first Wattle League Secretary. She was pivotal in the establishment of Wattle Day and in fundraising for patriotic purposes during World War One. As if that was not enough, she played a vital role in reviving the League in the 1950s (the league had lapsed in the immediate years after 1945).
The “new” League focussed on disabled people and ran sheltered workshops to provide meaningful work and support. The League was also pivotal in the creation of peak body QCoSS (Queensland Council of Social Service) which remains an important group to this day.
Workshops remained central to League activities until the 1980s when everything began to change. The sheltered workshop closed and financial difficulties saw the League struggle to survive. Under the energetic leadership of Chairman Madeline Cottee though, the League found its footing and developed services that fitted the new demands of the Disability Services Act. This was the start of Government playing a much more central role in shaping services. Cottee also negotiated to manage Queensland Housing Commission units and provide them to clients.
The client group began to change from disabled people to those with mental health difficulties. Central to this was participation in the P300 Government programme to move people from long term psychiatric hospital care into the community. Many other new services have followed but all have a similar ethos that sees individuals supported to make the most of their lives and live as independently as possible.
One hundred years on, Open Minds has left a lasting legacy. It has contributed to significant artistic careers, provided wartime relief in Australia’s times of need and helped shaped social policy. The greatest legacy, of course, is the many lives that have been changed for the better. And the story is not finished. Open Minds is well placed to continue changing lives well into its second century of service and, if it can retain the same capacity to grow and develop, it will undoubtedly continue to make a remarkable contribution to Queensland.
View a timeline to learn more.
Download the first edition of our history (PDF).