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Kevin Schamburg
Greater Southern Area Health Service
HARP Health Development Program Coordinator
Roles at the AAC:
Volunteer, PLWHA ACT Project Officer, Education Officer, Manager Community Education and Health Promotion Unit, Acting General Manager
Years of involvement:
1994 commenced as a volunteer, 1996 PLWHA ACT, 1997 to 1999 Education Unit,.2000 to 2006 Community Education and Health Promotion Unit, 2006 to 2007 Acting General Manager.
Why did you first get involved with the AAC?
Mow and maintain the gardens at Westlund House. (A story of policy and procedures).
What is your favourite memory of your time with the Council?
The people I met and worked with and their commitment and strength not found in too many areas of ones life. The friends I made.
Meeting Marcus my partner for the past nine years.
The launch of Reflections: 20 Years of HIV/AIDS, Activism, and Education at The Canberra Museum and Gallery in 2005 and being given the opportunity to research and record some of the history from a local perspective.
Receiving a Fabulous Membership Award in 2007.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your time with the Council?
The changes in the epidemic over the years, in 1994 Australia had its highest HIV related deaths and it was a year of little hope. In 1996 Antiretrovirals became available in Australia and with them came hope and a range of new challenges for clients, staff and volunteers.
This was certainly helped by the support given to the Council by The ACT Government and ACT Health.
What was/has been the biggest change with the Council over the years?
There has been a lot and I am sure some of it will be covered by others so as a reminder in this age of internet, social networking sites text, twitter and mass electronic media. I would like to mention that awareness messages originally were hand written or hand processed on one or two colour only printers or screen printed or painted onto T shirts. When I started at the council each office had a computer not each staff member and we had one internet connection for all of Westlund House and each staff member was allowed to book 15 minutes to half an hour once a week to access their “Hotmail” accounts.
An association with the AIDS Council of the ACT is something I would recommend to everyone. HIV will continue to impact on the lives of many people for many years to come and as we continue to debate and work for the rights of positive people and the GLBT community a commitment by a community will always be needed by organisations such as the council.
May we not have the need for organisations like this in the next 25 years but the benefits of what has been achieved by people with a commitment to others will have an ongoing impact to our lives.
Thank you to the AIDS Action Council ACT for 25 years of ongoing and professional commitment.
Jane Keany
Counsellor
Years of involvement:
1990 to present
Why did you first get involved with the AAC?
The first real involvement I had with the AAC was in 1990 when I took on the inaugural role of Campus AIDS Worker for the ANU, UCan and CIT. I needed 'hands on' understanding of HIV so I undertook the volunteer training which was quite extensive in those days. I still value that learning.
What is your favourite memory of your time with the Council?
My favourite memory of the AAC is creeping up the stairs to the Council office in Lonsdale Street Braddon, to use their lightbox for a pamphlet I was working on in another agency. I had no idea what to expect and didn't know where to look when the worker in the room in which I was working was having an animated phone conversation about his recent sexploits!
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your time with the Council?
The biggest challenge was moving from being in a well accepted role as Campus AIDS Worker to taking on a position as HIV social worker at the then Gilmore STD Clinic, a workplace not held in high regard by many at the Council. The transition was a difficult one for me.
What was/has been the biggest change with the Council over the years?
The Council has become a more collaborative organisation and this has helped it build a more responsive service to those affected by HIV. It is almost as though it has reached a level of maturity that enables staff to stand tall and be counted, in their support and advocacy roles.
Matt Schmidt
SHFPACT
Manager, Communications & Promotions
Roles at the AAC:
Care Team Volunteer 1997
Education, GICS (Gay Information & Counselling Service), First Step Volunteer 1997
Receptionist (Paid) 1997-98
Community Education & Health Promotions Officer 1998-2000
Years of involvement:
1997 - 2001 Active Involvement
2001 to present: professional involvement through various roles
Why did you first get involved with the AAC?
My very very first involvement with the AIDS Action Council was when I was 14 and new to Australia - I saw an ad in Smash Hits, "One of us is gay", talking about social groups out there for you to meet other gay guys. I rang the Canberra number, and when someone answered, got scared and hung up.
I became a volunteer while studying in 1997. I signed up for the volunteer course, and was greeted by passionate, warm volunteers and staff, and never really wanted the course to end. I fell in love with the Council community, which quickly became the central hub of my personal & professional life for some years. I did everything form care teams, to education stalls, to the Counselling Service (GICS), and after about twelve months started working for the Council.
What is your favourite memory of your time with the Council?
The Red Parties for World AIDS Day at The Meridian and at Heaven - the Olga Gorgonzola & The Cheese Slices shows, which quickly became Eartha Quake & The Aftershocks shows. We raised a lot of money for the Trevor Daley fund back in the day.... and then toured the East Coast Councils to raise money for them! We had a blast, sometimes even more so when we'd perform each show at the Positive Dinners for clients who couldn't make it at night - the smaller audience filled with friends allowed us to be even more outrageous.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your time with the Council?
As a staff member, the Council was a difficult place for me to be in 1999/2000. Mental illness & drug use within the staff team were left unaddressed, leading to several suicides in a period of only months. They were not good times.
What was/has been the biggest change with the Council over the years?
I guess the changing face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the advances in treatments, have changed the volunteer opportunities at the Council, which is a big change for me. Back in the day, the Council still organised care teams for clients because they were needed to offer respite to family members, partners, friends & carers, and in some cases, to offer care at all. To this day, that is my most precious memory of volunteering: I feel it was an absolute privilege to be a carer, and the conversations I had with all the people back then, at such a vulnerable time in someone's life, shaped how I interact with others to this day. Being on care teams, forming those bonds with other volunteers, was a humbling experience.
Justice Richard Refshauge
Roles at the AAC:
I was first approached in the early 1980’s (I cannot remember the precise date) to look at the incorporation of the Council. My memory is that I was approached to incorporate the Council by Marion Watson, then heading what was known as the Drug Referral and Information Centre and which was about to be (or just had been) incorporated as Assisting Drug Dependents Inc (ADDInc) and which I also incorporated. I was then a partner in the local legal firm, Macphillamy Cummins & Gibson, and had incorporated a number of community organisations on a pro bono basis. I also knew Peter Rowland, especially through his then partner, who was working in the Department of the Interior in the Arts Section as I then had a substantial involvement in local theatre activity.
I was happy to incorporate the Council for I had also been involved in issues surrounding HIV/AIDS through a variety of channels. I incorporated the Council (in, as I recall, about 1986) and became Public Officer, a position which I still hold. That position is really a formal position, though becoming more involved now, where I must certify documents lodged with the Registrar-General and receive any legal notices or legal processes issued against the Council.
Years of involvement:
My years of involvement were around 1984 or 1985 to date.
Why did you first get involved with the AAC?
I had become quite interested in the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS from the early days because of interesting legal issues around it and it gave me an opportunity to deal with an emerging legal issue which aligned with my social welfare interests. Professionally, I had been involved with representing a number of drug users and the issue of HIV transmission was a very lively one at the time. It was also a very interesting legal area and I attended conferences about it.
I had a good legal friend who was a significant force in the AIDS Council of New South Wales. I was a member (and by then may have been Chair) of the predecessor to the Sexual Health, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C and related Diseases Ministerial Advisory Council (SHAHRD); I cannot remember the precise name of the Committee at the time. I was Chair of ADDInc and this organisation was very aware of and involved with HIV/AIDS issues. I was also a member of an advisory committee of ACT Health (then still, of course, with the Commonwealth) which was reviewing the Public Health Act and there were fascinating issues arising in that context which needed addressing to avoid discrimination against those living with HIV/AIDS. All these made it so obvious that an AIDS Action Council should be established here and I was delighted when that happened.
What is your favourite memory of your time with the Council?
As I was never a member of Council, I do not have memories of particular incidents or activities that directly involve the Council or its working. I suppose my favourite memories are of the visit to Canberra of the Quilt, the World AIDS Day services at All Saints, the candlelight processions and that kind of thing.
A special memory was the invitation to give the Peter Rowland address at the AGM of the Council some years ago. It was an incredibly appreciated opportunity which I very much enjoyed. On strong memory of the Council has been the incredibly strong, valuable and thoughtful contributions of various members of Council to the SHAHRD meetings and activities and to the meetings and activities of its predecessors (under the various names). The Council has been – and continues to be – extremely well served by those who accept both office in and employment by the Council.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your time with the Council?
I suppose I have not had to face a really big challenge because of my limited direct involvement but there have been times when internal issues amongst Council members have sometimes been tricky when I have sought to remain good friends with people who have taken different sides on issues, some of which became quite unpleasant.
What was/has been the biggest change with the Council over the years?
I guess the biggest change over the years that I have noticed is in the increase in the size, complexity and competence of the Council as an entity: the first employees, the gaining of premises, the move to Westlund House and so on. I have also noticed the increasing professionalism of the Council and the expertise of its staff, while maintaining the grounding in the community and the enthusiasm of members and supporters.
Stephanie Buckle
AAC Counsellor
Roles at the AAC
I have been the counselor at the AAC throughout my time here – starting part time, then becoming full time, and now I work three days a week. In the early years I had many other roles besides counseling, including running education sessions, facilitating support groups, running workshops for the AIDS Memorial Quilt Project, and managing the Financial Assistance Scheme! (TDF)
Years of Involvement
I began my involvement with the AAC as an AAC Board member, before I became a member of staff in 1989. I left the Council in 1992, worked elsewhere for nearly 2 years, then returned to the AAC in 1994. I have been here ever since. You can count the years yourself!
Why did you first get involved with the AAC?
I had been working for the Haemophilia Support Group for 4 years – half of their members, all young men and boys, had got HIV. I developed a passionate interest and concern about HIV, especially the issues of stigma and discrimination which were emerging.
What is your favourite memory of your time with the Council?
The privilege of having so many people share their stories with me, of seeing peoples’ courage and ingenuity and resourcefulness in dealing with adversity.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your time with the Council?
Having clients and colleagues die.
What was/has been the biggest change with the Council over the years?
Moving away from the sense of crisis which engulfed everyone in the early years; getting the time and resources to think and plan strategically, rather than making it up on the run and trying anything that seemed like a good idea on the day.
Stephen Lawton
Roles at the AAC:
Volunteer, relief counsellor. Senior Education Manager, consultant
Years of involvement:
On and off since 1985/86
Why did you first get involved with the AAC?
Did volunteer typing for the then GM, Tim Mackay in 1985/86 when the Council was located Lonsdale St Braddon.
What is your favourite memory of your time with the Council?
Walking through Civic with a 14 inch dildo in my backpack on the way to a safe sex workshop, wondering what I would say if I was stopped and searched?!!?
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your time with the Council?
In the 80s/90s dealing with the spectre of death most typified by the Grim Reaper campaign. It seeped into every corner of my existence...
What was/has been the biggest change with the Council over the years?
Moving from a grass roots organisation with things made up on the run to a semi-professional outfit with established policies & procedures. It's a fine balance between being able to respond quickly to emerging issues and having in place evidence based practices & quality improvement processes.
David Mills
Manager
AAC Community Development Unit
Roles at the AAC:
Volunteer, CEHPU Project Officer, Education Officer, Community Development Manager
Years of involvement:
First became a volunteer in 2001, became a staff member in 2004
Why did you first get involved with the AAC?
My first encounter with the AAC was as a timid schoolboy that had been referred to Stephanie Buckle for counselling, and later that year I attended the ‘Out There and Doing It’ workshop – what an experience that was for the relatively sheltered young boy that I was!
I remember being so moved after finishing Timothy Conigrave’s Holding the Man, that I rang up and spoke to Pat Brant the very next day about becoming a volunteer.
I’ll never forget the volunteer training. I found it confronting and an emotional rollercoaster, but it also helped me to develop and I met close friends that I still have to this day.
What is your favourite memory of your time with the Council?
I enjoyed running workshops for the Council, it is such a privilege to be able to spend so much time with a group of men and talk about things that really matter to us. We just don’t make enough time for this in our usual lives.
Seeing my name in print in ‘Yes, I am’ all those years ago was a real thrill, and helped me develop confidence and self-pride in my life. The impact of it on my life has helped me to understand the power of storytelling and art in our community development work; The Living Quilt, A Positive Journey, In Our Own Write, Stepping Stones…
What was the biggest challenge you faced in your time with the Council?
It was a dark day when we discovered that the AAC and Qnet websites had been hacked and completely blown away, we also discovered that while the AAC website was being backed up regularly, we only had a copy of the Qnet website from day 1. Years of posts and members – all gone, and had to be rebuilt almost from scratch.
What was/has been the biggest change with the Council over the years?
It’s hard to say, because I feel like I’ve been an ‘insider’ now for most of the time I’ve been involved with the Council. My impression is that we are much more self-critical, and we don’t just do things because we’ve always done them but because they will make a difference.
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