Since being founded in the Ballroom of Government House in Melbourne in 1914, Australian Red Cross has developed into one of our most renowned humanitarian organisations.

From its inception nine days after the end of World War I when it focused on assisting injured soldiers (1914), Australian Red Cross has been a constant and strong thread in the fabric of Australian society providing assistance to evacuees of Cyclone Tracy (1974); to families affected by the ‘Ash Wednesday’ bushfires (1983); during the fierce bushfires in Tulka (2001) and to victims and their families of the Bali tragedy (2002 - 2004).

“Australian Red Cross is about community spirit and it’s the people who have given their time, money or support over the last 90 years that have made it what it is today.

“We currently provide 500,000 vulnerable South Australians with support every year. That’s enough people to fill AMMI Stadium 10 times over,” said Dale Cleaver, Executive Director, Australian Red Cross, South Australia.

Australian Red Cross, South Australia receives 95 percent of its funding from community donations and commercial income to continue providing local services to meet the needs of the most vulnerable from Ceduna to as far south as Mt Gambier and north to Broken Hill.
 
“I would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank South Australians for their support over the past 90 years.  We exist to assist our community and couldn’t have done it without them,” concluded Mr Cleaver.

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

• Dale Cleaver, Executive Director, Australian Red Cross, South Australia