Ronald McDonald House was founded in Philadelphia, USA, in 1974.
The late paediatric oncologist, Dr Audrey Evans, identified the need for accommodation close to children’s hospitals where families could recharge and receive support. Dr Evans recognised that a family with a sick child was a sick family and she built a care model around this strong belief.
McDonald’s helped fund that first House and became our Founding Mission Partner. This support continues today.
In 1981, Ronald McDonald House Greater Western Sydney opened the first Ronald McDonald House in Australia. It had eight rooms and was located in Camperdown, Sydney, close to the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. Paediatric oncologist Dr Arnold Tink is known as the founding father of the charity in Australia.
In 1996, The Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children relocated to Westmead and we followed, opening a newly built 18-room House within the grounds of what is today known as The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. This House accommodated up to 109 people per night over the next 22 years.
On Valentine’s Day 2018, we opened our current 60-room House in Westmead. Known as the “House that Love Built” due to the generosity and support of so many, it’s located across from the first Westmead House. The House is home to over 1,600 families every year and supports hundreds more through the Day Pass Program.
