Canberra Committee
Established 1960
The Canberra Committee was one of the first committees to support the then Children's Medical Research Foundation in 1960, with its initial meeting attracting 50 women which included Mrs Betty Watson as the first President.
The committee is well known today for their Annual Luncheon which is held either at a country property, Government House or The Lodge, offering a superb luncheon prepared by the committee including their legendary home-made delicacies (featured in their “Petit Fours” cookbook).
The first Annual Luncheon was held in 1964 at “Michalago Station”, where the film “My Brilliant Career” was filmed. The luncheon has grown from a small garden party to a gourmet luncheon and shopping experience enjoyed by up to 700 guests.
Other fundraising activities held over the years include the glamorous Dinner Dance at the Hotel Canberra, door knock appeals, raffles, fashion parades, auction nights, art shows and open garden schemes.
Past Events
Christmas Event 2021
2021 was another challenging year for fundraising but towards the end of the year our marvellous creative team decided to have a Christmas Sale. Mary and Philip Constable kindly offered their home as the venue and the invitations to our loyal supporters were sent out. Then, the hard work began! Christmas cakes, preserves and many hand made items suitable for Christmas gift giving were prepared and donated to us. A beautiful hand bag from Oroton was acquired for the raffle. We were astounded by the generous response received. By the end of the day the tables were emptied, the raffle was drawn and won by a previous committee member and we were both amazed and delighted that we had made just under $7,500 for CMRI.
2021 Jeans for Genes Gala
This first Gala evening for the Canberra Committee, held at the Hellenic Club of Canberra on 6th August 2021, was a great success. The event was filled with ball gowns, dancing, raffles, silent and live auctions. It was very well attended and received, given it was held just days before the ACT once again went into lockdown. Stay tuned for information on our Gala evening in 2022!
