by Effective Living Centre Circle (Circle 111) The much-anticipated bus trip to Monarto Safari Park was held on 1st October. It had been a wet week, but we were lucky to get by with just a few showers of rain. The day began with an early start as we all boarded the bus at 8.45am. There were 56 of us …
Circle of Friends Australia began in May 2002 in response to the despair felt by many Australians about the treatment of asylum seekers who came by boat to our country. At this time David Winderlich and lawyers, who were visiting Woomera and Baxter Immigration and Processing Centres, devised a plan to help support families on their release from detention. I met with David, and he suggested that I take on the practical side of setting up a ‘circle of friends’ to implement this plan. And so, Circles of Friends was born. Our Circle, which we called “Belair/Human Services” or Circle 1, was the first of about 13 established in rapid succession.
The first family referred to Circle 1 by lawyers visiting Baxter were a couple with 3 children from Iran. Initially the whole family were being held behind razor wire in Baxter Centre. Later, the mother and her children were moved to secure community housing in Port Augusta city. Her husband was bussed in for visits with his family.
Thus began a period of nearly two years of political lobbying on behalf of the family advocating for their release. Over this time, we were in constant contact with the family, visiting, phoning, sending letters and parcel. Circle 1 member and SA Director of Amnesty International Nina Boydell led us strongly through this phase.
As Convenor of Circle 1, I attended the Family High Court to support the couple who were represented by a pro bono QC and solicitor. The Commonwealth had two QCs and three solicitors. It was a daunting experience to be asked Commonwealth legal counsel whether I realised I would be responsible to deport this family if a Visa was refused. However, I refused to be intimidated. Visits to the Baxter Detention Centre had desensitised me all to that.
David Winderlich had sourced a large house, rent and utility-free, through Dale West {dec}, then Director of Catholic Family services (Centacare) which could house the family upon their release. The house had to be cleaned, furnished, provided with food and cooking utensils, bedding, clothing and all the other things necessary to maintain a home and establish a life in the community. Circle 1 began locating enough people to donate $5 or $10 a week to help with furnishing the house and to cover all living costs for the family once they were released. We sourced what we could for free from generous donors and small businesses and relied on regular monetary donations to purchase other necessities and cover future weekly living expenses.
To enable tax-free status, Kevin Liston, then Director of the Australian Refugee Association (ARA), agreed to hold funds raised by each Circle and distribute them as Circle Convenors requested.
In a short time, over 100 regular donors were recruited to Circle 1, pro bono medical, dental and educational providers were on board, and the house was ready. Support principles, still in operation, were developed by the Henley/Semaphore Circle.
Finally, on a normal day at my city office, I was overjoyed to receive a call from the father to say the family were being released that very day by departing Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock, with full access to Centrelink and Medicare. Their first night of freedom was spent at Pt Pirie with Bernadette Wauchope and her family from the wonderful Rural Action for Refugees (RAR). The next day they were on the Stateliner bus heading to Adelaide.
A rush ensued to find them somewhere to live and make sure it was adequately supplied. Due to the delay in their release, rather than leave the Centacare house empty, a large, recently arrived Sudanese family had been temporarily accommodated there. Fortunately, another Agency’s recently vacated house was located and readied overnight. With other supporters and media, I met the whole family at the Franklin Street Bus Station, and their real life in Australia began.
By 2012, 10 years on from the initial start, there were over 100 Circles. “All of Circles” meetings were held in St John’s Church Hall, Halifax Street. Monica O’Wheel chaired these meeting with attendees sharing knowledge, organising training and Forums to raise public awareness. At a combine meeting the active Circles decided to become incorporated as a new entity, Circle of Friends Australia Inc.
Thanks to the work of current Treasurer Bruce Wyatt, COFA Inc. commenced operations in November 2013. COFA is registered with the Australia Taxation Office as a Public and Benevolent Body and with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission as a charity with tax deductible receipting status for donations. COFA is also registered in New South Wales and South Australia as a Charity for fundraising purposes. This has enabled us to be more active in fundraising and so to support more people.
Now 23 years on, the work of Circle of Friends continues to work strongly to support asylum seekers and refugees. It has a been an amazing experience to witness what strong, grassroots, collaborative activity can achieve.
You can support COFA by making a donation
Circle of Friends Australia has always stood for compassion, kindness and practical support for asylum seekers and refugees. We’re excited to share that we are now joining a growing national movement as a Supporting Community Organisation with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA).
What is Community Sponsorship?
Community sponsorship is a powerful model that enables everyday citizens to play an active role in in welcoming and supporting newly arriving refugees. Instead of leaving settlement solely to government services, local volunteer groups provide hands-on assistance, friendship, and connection. Community sponsorship is not new or unique to Australia. It is part of a global movement that began in Canada and now spans countries worldwide in Europe, the UK and South America.
About CRSA and the CRISP Program
CRSA currently leads the community sponsorship movement in Australia through the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP), launched in 2022. This program has been made a permanent part of Australia’s humanitarian migration program by the government.
The CRISP empowers groups of volunteers – called Community Supporter Groups – made up of 5 or more individuals from the same local area, to provide practical support to a refugee household throughout their first 12 months in Australia. This involves meeting the newcomers at the airport and assisting with things like finding housing, registering for Centrelink and Medicare, local orientation to the community and support with education and employment. Refugees are referred by UNHCR and accepted for settlement via the CRISP on the basis of not having existing links in Australia.
Watch the short video below showing one family’s journey to safety and belonging through the CRISP, welcomed to Airey’s Inlet on Victoria’s Surf Coast.
Since its inception, almost 900 refugee newcomers have arrived in Australia through the CRISP, welcomed by over 180 Community Supporter Groups in every state and territory, including Circle of Friends members in South Australia.
Circle of Friends Joins the Cause
By joining CRSA as a Supporting Community Organisation, Circle of Friends adds our voice to the call for compassionate, community-driven responses to refugee settlement. Together, we can amplify the message that welcoming refugees strengthens our communities.
Learn More & Get Involved
CRSA will be visiting Adelaide in February 2026 for a series of community engagement events – we will share these details with you as they become available and encourage our members to attend an event to learn more and see how you can get involved.
In the meantime, we encourage you to consider forming a Community Support Group to welcome refugee newcomers through the CRISP. To learn more about the CRISP and what’s involved, visit the CRSA website.
For questions or more information, contact the CRSA team directly by email.
Image: Perth Community Refugee Support Group welcome Josephine Taban, originally from South Sudan, at Perth airport in December 2023.
Organised by Nathan’s Circle
Cultured 2025 consists of a free family fun day and paid evening concert. The event includes:
Cultured Evening Concert will feature Tribal Sound Journey with Handpan, Ozwietie Live Band, Morgan Taubert – cultural instruments and Colombo Quartet.
When: Saturday 13 December from 11am. Evening Concert from 6pm.
Where: Four Oaks Farm, 23 Downing Road, Littlehampton.
Cost: Family fun day free, Cultured. Evening Concert, $30.00 pp U18 free.
Tickets: Book Tickets for Cultured Evening Concert via TryBooking
Circle of Hope in conjunction with Different Voices presents Il Girovaghi (the vagabonds) singing traditional Italian songs of Christmas. The repertoire ranges from sweet to startling salacious to those used to the English carol tradition although a few English favourites will be included.
The venue, Hope’s Cafe has been a focus for refugees,migrants and homeless people and anyone who wants to work with them for a fairer Australia for over a decade.
As part of that ethos a small number of Pay it Forward Tickets are available for purchase. These will be allocated to people on low incomes who otherwise would never attend events like this.
Different Voices also operates as a Social Enterprise, providing occasional casual employment to one or two people for each event.
The evening will include dinner and there will also be a bar. All profits will go to Circle of Friends.
