40 years of imagination
Hip hip hooray it's our 40th birthday!
Since 1985
Make-A-Wish Australia was founded in November 1985 with a mission to grant inspirational, life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. A child’s imagination shapes every wish, and behind each one stands a community of passionate people making it come true.
Together, our incredible volunteers, partners, supporters and friends have granted more than 11,000 extraordinary wishes and counting.
40 years - thanks to you
Simply put, wishes wouldn’t exist without you - our community - and we'd like to thank all the members of the Wish Force (past and present) for believing in the power of a wish and creating a lasting impact on the lives of sick kids, their families and communities.
The story of how it all began
Make-A-Wish Australia was founded on 26 November 1985 at the Queen Victoria Medical Centre in Melbourne.
Inspired by the work of Make-A-Wish America, our local founders shared the universal aspiration to grant wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses – known then as ‘terminal’ illnesses.
First wish
Within the first year, a dozen applications were posted in (this was before the rise of the internet, email and even fax!) with the first wish ultimately granted for a Melbourne teenager, Shawn Cleland.
16-year-old Shawn was living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and wished to see his favourite football team in action. His sister Nicole remembers Shawn "dreaming in red, white and blue", the colours of his Footscray heroes – and how his life, while tragically cut short, inspired others.
The memories are always there, you never forget that one day and how much joy it brought.
Nicole sister of Shawn, the first Australian wish recipient
Inspirational wishes
Fast forward 40 years and Make-A-Wish has granted more than 11,000 wishes to children all over Australia.
A wish is more than a moment in time, it’s a journey powered by imagination, bringing hope and joy to sick children when they need it most.
Every wish is as individual and unique as the child who imagines it, from the simple to the seemingly impossible – we’ve made unicorns fly, sent kids to the moon and even brought dinosaurs back from extinction.
Wishes transform the lives of sick kids, their families and communities. When a wish is realised, a child discovers that, despite their situation, anything is possible.
Life-changing impact
Each wish is deeply personal, with a unique and lasting impact. It gives wish children the chance to imagine life beyond illness—and experience life lived to the fullest.
And, for everyone involved, from the volunteers to our community partners and friends, wishes have a remarkable, uplifting and positive impact, well beyond the wish itself.
Thank you
To our amazing volunteers all over the country helping to fundraise and bring wishes to life, our 35th birthday gives us the opportunity to thank you for your dedication and commitment.
To our loyal partners and supporters, who go out of their way to support Make-A-Wish, we wouldn't exist without you.
We thank you all for your outstanding efforts.
To all our incredible wish children, past and present - who continue to inspire us every day.
And to our extraordinary wish ambassadors - who are willing to share their stories of courage, resilience and the impact of their wish, so that other children may benefit from a wish too.
We salute you.
Three cheers to our wonderful national patrons Melissa Doyle and Robyn Moore, who champion Make-A-Wish at every opportunity.
To all of our generous ambassadors and friends who go above and beyond to brighten the lives of seriously ill children - you are an inspiration.
We thank you for all your outstanding efforts.
40 years of inspirational stories
The brave Bulldog who wished first
The first wish in Australia was for 16-year-old Western Bulldogs fan Shawn.
Adelaide's own wish man
Frank Jackowiak helped start Adelaide's Make-A-Wish volunteer branch in 1986.
The day a tough guy melted
Fearless former footballer Stephen Rowe has exposed a heart of gold in his 27 years volunteering.
Wish children whose images feature on this page:
Toby, 9, osteosarcoma - I wish to go on holiday with the family and meet Shaun the sheep
Quinn, 6, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - I wish to see a unicorn fly in the sky
Shawn, 16, Duchenne muscular dystrophy - I wish to watch the Footscray Bulldogs play in Sydney
Adam, 10, CNS sarcoma - I wish to 'Dig It' at Thunderbird Park
Aubree, 5, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - I wish to have a tea party with animals and mermaids.