About US

OUR HISTORY

On April 28th 1996 at the historical Port Arthur site in Tasmania, 35 people were tragically killed.

Two small children, Alannah and Madeline Mikac, aged six and three, along with their mother, died that day. Because of this terrible act of violence, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation was created, a charity with the belief that all children should have a safe and happy childhood without being subjected to any form of violence.

The girls’ father, Walter Mikac, Phil West and a small group of volunteers, worked hard to set up the Foundation, which was launched by the Prime Minister who also agreed to become the Foundation’s Patron. In his book, To Have and To Hold, Walter Mikac describes the Foundation's origins when writing about the launch:

"When it's my turn to address the crowd, I tell them that the idea for the Foundation came from another Melbourne father, Phil West, who just like me had two daughters. He had been looking at their drawings on the fridge when he thought of the idea of setting up a foundation to help ease the suffering of all these children.... To me this illustrated how an ordinary person can make a difference and it is an ability that is in every one of us..."

Walter Mikac is now a professional speaker who talks about courage and the key strategies to surviving challenges to create extraordinary outcomes.  Walter is available for bookings through his website www.waltermikac.com.au