Over 20 years ago, our incredible founder, Doug Henderson, was struck by how little was known about the 1942 Kokoda campaign in PNG – a battle that had a profound impact on the freedoms we enjoy in Australia today, and that had the potential to impact young lives for good. Together with his wife, Anna, they envisioned a program that would not only educate young people about Kokoda but also instil its core values of courage, endurance, mateship, and sacrifice. To ensure this program could be accessible to all, they created the Kokoda Challenge – a team endurance hike, mirroring the distance our soldiers trekked. This fundraising event became the main source of funding for our free youth programs which have shaped hundreds of young lives ever since.
Visionaries see change before it’s tangible. Leaders take others on the journey to make that vision a reality.
To celebrate two decades of success, the Foundation has an action-packed 2025 calendar of festivities. In May, our Kokoda community came together for a day of fun in the sun at our 20 Year Reunion Picnic. Our Kokoda Challenge events in Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast have seen record attendance this year and our inaugural event in Sydney promises to be a great success. We look forward to capping off our milestone celebrations with our 20 Year Gala Ball in October.
