George Marchant

"I am an instrument of God and will use those powers given me to help others." (George Marchant)

When MontroseAccess (The Queensland Society for Crippled Children) first opened in 1933 it was in part made possible by the generosity of Mr George Marchant.

Mr Marchant was born at Brasted, Kent, England on 17 November 1857. At the age of 16, with only a few shillings in his pocket, Mr Marchant said goodbye to English soil and set sail for Australia, landing in Brisbane. After working as a station hand in the country, he returned to Brisbane where he found employment in an aerated-waters factory as a carter. This factory was an inspiration to Mr Marchant, and in 1886 he bought a similar small business.

George Marchant

Mr Marchant's soft drink factory was extremely successful, and grew to be one of the largest businesses of its kind in Australia. Factories were opened in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Newcastle, and well as Brisbane. Mr Marchant invented and patented a bottling machine, which was later used all over the world.

In the early 1930s Mr Marchant donated his own home at Swann Road, Taringa, to the organisation, as our first residence. After some alterations, it was officially opened on 3 December 1933, and the first client was admitted the next day. Its facilities soon became inadequate because of the extent of the Poliomyelitis epidemic and especially because of the high needs of the children from the country.

Seeing the need for expansion, Mr Marchant then purchased our present site, formerly known as "Ardoyne", in 1937, as a further gift to the organisation. Montrose Home was then able to provide accommodation for 90 children and also a complex service, including long-term accommodation, schooling, dental treatment and even a barber.

The home at Taringa was returned by the Society to Mr Marchant, who subsequently donated the land to the RSL. Mr Marchant died on 5 September 1941. Even in passing, his commitment to the Queensland Society for Crippled Children was evident, where he bequeathed a significant donation and the remainder of his estate to the organisation.

The generosity of Mr Marchant has contributed significantly towards improving the lives of Queensland children with physical disabilities and his commitment continues to strengthen the organisation to this day.