The year was 1987, and Australia was full of big hair and even brighter colours. Kylie launched her music career, becoming a household name as she locomotion-ed her way to the top of the charts. In a sign of what the future held, the first mobile phone call in Australia was made. And right here in Queensland, Brisbane was preparing for World Expo ’88 while Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen resigned as Premier after 19 years at the top. It was also the year Cancer Council Queensland, or as we were named then, The Queensland Cancer Fund, published the first issue of Volunteer Voice.
Printed in black and white, featuring hand-drawn pictures, and composed on a typewriter, these early issues of Volunteer Voice are a world away from how it is today. Yet, its aim of keeping volunteers in the loop remains exactly the same.
So let’s take a quick journey back in time to see what volunteers were reading about in the last 3 years of the 80s!
1987
- Breast Cancer Support Service volunteers in Brisbane, Ipswich and Redcliffe visited almost 400 patients in hospital or at home
- The results of QCF’s telephone survey were released after volunteers phoned 339 members of the general public to gauge their understanding of cancer
- Volunteers from the Redlands Branch raised over $3000 through a charity bowls day
1988
- On October 9th, 18,000 volunteers across the state participated in the doorknock appeal, in which $804,592 was collected
- In April, QCF moved premises from Spring Hill to Fortitude Valley – where we still are 28 years later!
- Nominations for the ’88 steering committee were made via post, by volunteers returning a nomination form that was attached to the newsletter
- Volunteers represented QCF at the World Expo, with the sale of disposable cardboard slouch hats proving extremely popular
1989
- The doors to our wig library opened for the first time after volunteers answered calls for the donation of wigs to establish this service
- Jeff Dunn was introduced as the new Director of Patient & Community Services
- The first state volunteer training seminar was held, and attended by 44 volunteers
- Volunteers spoke to over 53,000 school kids between September and November as part of the Sun Safety Education campaign
- ‘ARTLIFE’ art exhibition was held on the Gold Coast to raise funds for QCF. It became the most successful art exhibition of its kind in Queensland that year with over 150 volunteers helping to raise around $45,000
What are some of your favourite memories as a CCQ volunteer? We’d love to hear them, please send your stories to volunteer@cancerqld.org.au 