Dianne Wright OAM

Mrs Diane Wright is the visionary and founder of both Anam Cara House Geelong and Anam Cara House Colac - residential community hospices offering respite and end-of-life care in a 'home-like' environment for people with life-limiting illnesses.

Diane's tertiary training in health science, her work in palliative and bereavement care and her strong family tradition of community service resourced and inspired her to initiate the development of Anam Cara House when she discovered that the home and hospital care available in the local areas did not meet local community-identified needs. Diane responded to repeated requests from patients and families for a local home-like place of care for respite and end-of-life care. It took some 12 years and an enormous amount of community support and energy to realise this vision. Anam Cara Geelong opened in 2007 and has provided more than 10,000 days of care for the people of Geelong and Western Victoria.

In 2004, community members approached Diane to set up a similar facility in her home town of Colac. In November 2011, Anam Cara House Colac opened to provide services in South West Victoria. Diane and her Committee successfully approached over 300 regional businesses, individuals and volunteers to achieve this second vision. Diane and her Committees have raised millions of dollars to bring the two purpose-built facilities to fruition.

The work and commitment to Anam Cara House continues, and Diane has formed a number of regional committees and a Melbourne Committee to assist with fundraising for their hospice Foundation Fund in order to ensure the sustainability of this high-quality respite care for the community.