The Children Don’t Expect Much

The Children Don’t Expect Much

I want to share the inspiring story of two of our Outback Links volunteers, Michael and Wendy* who have been travelling around their home state of Queensland to support farming families experiencing isolation.  Their story sharing of the children who don't expect much. They have been a source of hope and encouragement for a number ...

Chaplaincy in the midst of coronavirus

Chaplaincy in the midst of coronavirus

Quarantine, isolation and border controls throughout this year have had an impact on the work of our Frontier Services Buch Chaplains. But they’ve continued to find ways to reach out and connect with communities across Remote Australia. We chatted to Benjamin Quilliam and Peter Wait who work in the Centralian and Tennant Barkly regions of …

Standing with (older) people in the bush

Standing with (older) people in the bush

Today is International Day of Older Persons. The work that we do here at Frontier Services has a significant impact on the lives of older people living in rural and remote Australia. We have huge numbers of Outback Links volunteers who are "grey nomads", travelling the country and lending a hand where they are needed ...

International Translation Day

International Translation Day

Today is International Translation Day. At Frontier Services we work with all kinds of communities across Australia. And for many, English is not necessarily their primary language. This is particularly true in the West Arnhem Remote Area which is ministered to by our Bush Chaplain, Lindsay Parkhill. Lindsay’s wife Louise Macdonald, also works for an …

Merv’s Story

Merv’s Story

I was recently inspired by Merv's story, that of a kind hearted and brave 76 year old farmer, Merv, living alone on a 600, 000 hectare station near Cue, 700km from Perth in Western Australia, that I want to share with you. For many of us, COVID-19 has been our first experience of the social ...

Closing the Gap in 2020

Closing the Gap in 2020

Closing the Gap in 2020 Closing the Gap was developed in response to the call of the Social justice report 2005 and the ‘Close the Gap’ social justice campaign. In March 2008, Australian governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people agreed ‘to work together to achieve equality in health status and life expectancy between …

First Aboriginal Bush Chaplain

First Aboriginal Bush Chaplain

As part of this year’s National Reconciliation Week we’ve been speaking with members of the Frontier Services family, who work within Indigenous communities across Australia, about what reconciliation means for them. Today, we catch up with Pastor Julia Lennon, who we were extremely proud to induct as our first ever female Aboriginal Bush Chaplain late last year.

Aunty Di – In this Together

Aunty Di – In this Together

Dianne Torrens is a Widjabal woman and Githabul woman of the Bundjalung nation from the Northern Rivers. Aunty Di believes ‘In This Together’ and the pathway for reconciliation requires truth, justice and forgiveness, and simply sitting together to share a conversation over a cuppa. It is being open with each other, saying ‘hello’ and focusing on our similarities, rather than our differences.

Howard and Mary’s Story

Howard and Mary’s Story

It’s National Volunteer Week, and what better time to celebrate our incredible Outback Links volunteers! We recently caught up with two of our longest-serving volunteers, Howard and Mary. In this article we share highlights from our conversation, giving you a glimpse into their amazing, decade-long journey!