Our History
Where it all began.
Where it all began.
For more than 30 years, we have been giving families with sick or injured children the gift of togetherness and keeping them near the care and medical resources they need.
We first opened our doors at the Mater Hospital Brisbane in 1991. While our original House is no longer running, we have since then introduced a 48-bedroom House in Herston, an 87-bedroom House at South Brisbane, and a 10-bedroom House inside the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
RMHC SEQ is the largest Chapter in Australia with the number of rooms we have at both our Herston and South Brisbane Houses.
RMH SEQ Mater opens in July as the first Ronald McDonald House in Brisbane.
RMH SEQ Mater is extended to 21 rooms.
RMH SEQ Herston opened in October.
The Herston House is extended to 50 rooms, making it the largest in the Southern Hemisphere at the time.
Both Houses amalgamate their boards and formed RMH SEQ inc.
Two Ronald McDonald Family Rooms are opened at the NICU and Paediatric & the Critical Care Children’s Unit at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
A Ronald McDonald House (10 rooms) inside the Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH) opens along with a Ronald McDonald Family Room in QCH on Level 6.
Ronald McDonald House Mater closed in October.
Families moved into Ronald McDonald House South Brisbane on the 12 October.
On the 5 November Ronald McDonald House South Brisbane was officially opened.
In 1981, children’s charities were forever changed in Australia when the first Ronald McDonald House opened its doors in NSW. Since then, the charity has grown to 18 Houses across the country as well as 18 Family Rooms, 5 Family Retreats, 1 Care Mobile and our National Learning Program.
Thanks to the generosity of Australian communities, vital partners and incredible staff and volunteers, RMHC Australia has been able to support more than 40,000 families each year.
Founded in 1974 in Philadelphia, USA, Ronald McDonald House Charities began with a single-minded and powerful goal to provide a House where the families of children in hospital could get some rest away from the ward.
This year, RMHC is celebrating 50 years – from day one, we’ve been focused on caring for families so they can care for their children.
Today, RMHC is truly global, with 378 Ronald McDonald Houses in 62 countries and regions across the world.
Parents don’t know when their children will need medical help. But they should know they can always access the care they need. With your help, we can support them all throughout their journey.