Good Friday Appeal

The Good Friday Appeal is an annual fundraising activity on behalf of the Royal Children's Hospital, in Melbourne, Australia. The event occurs on Good Friday every year.

Good Friday Appeal
Founded13 September 1931 (1931-09-13)
FounderWallace Sharland, Dave McNamara, JJ Maher, and George Sparrow.[1]
TypeFundraiser
FocusThe Royal Children's Hospital
Location
Coordinates37°47′42″S 144°56′59″E
Area served
Victoria
MethodTelethon, collection tins, online donations, various other events
Key people
Rebecca Cowan, director
Websitewww.goodfridayappeal.com.au
Formerly called
Alfred Hospital Appeal, Children's Hospital Appeal
Not-for-profit charity
Good Friday Appeal phone room as well as Channel 7 studio setup of the telethon panel featuring personalities such as Andrew O'Keefe

In 2023, the appeal raised over $23 million, setting a new record. More than $368 million[2] has been raised for the hospital since the appeal began in 1931.

Individuals and businesses, clubs, schools and country towns throughout the state conduct activities to raise money for the hospital.

The appeal is a non-political, non-denominational organisation that exists solely to financially support The Royal Children's Hospital.

For the first time in 2014, the telethon was staged within the 2,500-seat Plenary theatre at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The public were able to purchase tickets to join the live studio audience, with proceeds donated to the appeal. In 2016, the evening concert was marketed as a ticketed event via Ticketek.

The state-of-the-art MCEC complex, which is entirely undercover, also features a vast foyer area and support rooms which allowed the appeal to expand activities such as the popular Kids Day Out program and host community groups which fundraise for the hospital.

History

The Appeal started in 1931 when groups of journalists from The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd organised a sporting carnival in aid of Melbourne hospitals. The proceeds from the appeal initially went to different hospitals each year, but from their third-year proceeds have gone exclusively to the Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital. In 1942, Sir Keith Murdoch as managing director and editor of The Herald agreed that The Herald and radio station 3DB should broadcast an all-day appeal on Good Friday. In 1957, the Seven Network joined the appeal and presented a three-hour telethon on Good Friday afternoon. In 1960, the telethon adopted the day-long format which continues annually to this day.

During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the telethon was also re-broadcast through regional Victoria via local channels, with Prime Television being the sole regional broadcaster from 1992 with the aggregation of regional markets.

Funds raised
Year Amount raised (A$)[3]
1931£427[4]
1932$22,511.56^
(Total amount raised from 1932 to 1941)
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942$16,620.20^
1943$25,308.17^
1944$37,061.70^
1945$56,128.45^
1946$82,716.56^
1947$62,823.16^
1948$84,747.53^
1949$115,382.42^
1950$138,066.00^
1951$200,439.92^
1952$234,060.80^
1953$260,493.70^
1954$312,000.00^
1955$269,400.43^
1956$373,934.47^
1957$331,886.25^
1958$335,843.21^
1959$348,259.89^
1960$472,178.56^
1961$390,983.62^
1962$368,356.89'^
1963$380,698.87^
1964$391,328.42^
1965$384,743.52^
1966$381,706.35
1967$379,940.42
1968$400,274.25
1969$457,880.23
1970$503,857.64
1971$552,918.61
1972$638,263.35
1973$778,018.77
1974$947,532.51
1975$990,224.26
1976$1,269,772.34
1977$1,489,866.00
1978$1,586,032.92
1979$1,724,566.64
1980$1,819,662.10
1981$2,015,342.41
1982$2,075,869.77
1983$2,121,330.32
1984$2,467,163.87
1985$2,549,188.99
1986$3,150,997.67
1987$3,161,735.84
1988$3,657,450.52
1989$4,070,206.89
1990$4,744,617.97
1991$4,424,257.53
1992$4,423,699.64
1993$4,437,744.50
1994$4,531,942.33
1995$4,624,092.47
1996$5,341,845.56
1997$5,704,378.39
1998$6,180,968.34
1999$6,425,729.76
2000$6,985,796.00
2001$7,501,861.33
2002$8,129,019.07
2003$9,806,373.03
2004$10,057,537.20
2005$10,082,647.20
2006$10,280,532.53
2007$11,788,970.87
2008$12,482,380.00
2009$13,862,495.00
2010$14,462,000.00
2011$15,600,000.00
2012$15,820,640.78
2013$16,405,534.65
2014$16,846,396.09
2015$17,109,063.22
2016$17,445,624.38
2017$17,605,662.00[5]
2018$18,043,251.55
2019 $18,175,467.00
2020 $18,200,000.00
2021 $17,122,879.00[6]
2022 $22,328,154.00[7]
2023 $23,061,320.00[8]
^ denotes that the amount raised is listed in Australian dollars (A$), which has only been used since 1966. Prior to 1966 the official currency was the Australian pound (A£).

See also

References
  1. https://goodfridayappeal.com.au/about-us/our-history/ Our History
  2. "Hospital appeal raises record $18 million".
  3. https://goodfridayappeal.com.au/about-us/our-history/funds-raised-year-by-year/ Funds raised year by year
  4. https://goodfridayappeal.com.au/about-us/our-history/ Our history
  5. @Channel7 (14 April 2017). "The final #GoodFridayAppeal tally has come in at a record figure of $17,605,662. A big thank you to everyone that volunteered and donated! 👏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. "The 2021 Final Tally". 2 April 2021.
  7. "2022 Final Tally". 16 April 2022.
  8. "2023 Final Tally". 8 April 2023.
  9. "Final siren for legendary footy cartoonist WEG". The Age. 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023.
  10. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/posters-the-winner-as-mark-knight-takes-wegs-reins/news-story/52378c05a53ca4a59fd00c0d3d81c171 Posters the winner as Mark Knight takes WEGs reigns
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