Holyoake. Celebrating 50 Years
This year marks 50 years of walking alongside people impacted by alcohol, drugs, and mental ill health.
What began in 1975 in Perth as a deeply personal response to lived experience, founders John Keating and Anita Day established Holyoake to offer others the support, hope, and confidence they themselves had needed. Their vision was grounded in compassion and innovation – pioneering a holistic, family-systems approach to counselling and peer support.
From the very beginning, Holyoake recognised that these challenges don’t exist in isolation. Families – especially children and partners – were placed at the heart of our work. Peer groups complemented individual counselling, creating safe spaces for people to feel seen, heard, and understood. No one had to walk the path alone.
Over five decades, Holyoake has evolved – growing into a dynamic, evidence-based, trauma-informed organisation. While our locations, capabilities, and services have expanded, our purpose remains unchanged:
To help people find the support, hope and confidence they need to live the life they choose.
Today, we continue to address the complex, overlapping challenges of alcohol, drug use, and mental ill health with compassion and care. Our team of professionals meet people wherever they are at, whenever they’re ready.
As we celebrate this milestone, we’re proud to be sharing a collection of video diaries over the next six months that tell the stories of those who have shaped our journey. We invite you to join us in reflecting on our shared history, our achievements, and the lives we’ve touched.
To everyone who has been part of the Holyoake journey – consumers, families, volunteers, staff, partners, funders, stakeholders, and communities – thank you. You have shaped who we are today.
From young children to adolescents, adults, and families – we’ve walked with tens of thousands, unconditionally and without judgement. And we’ll continue walking, for as long as we’re needed.
Here’s to 50 years of hope, and the many years ahead.
