By Arabella Gibson
25 years ago, in 2001, the world witnessed events that would shape a generation. Wikipedia took its first steps towards democratising knowledge, the September 11 attacks transformed global politics and the launch of the first iPod signalled a more connected future.
In Australia, 2001 also marked the beginning of a national focus on maternal mental health and the basis of what would become Gidget Foundation Australia.
Building on the establishment of Beyond Blue at the turn of the century, the Australian Government expanded its commitment to mental health in 2001 through the National Postnatal Depression Program Initiative (NPDI). This landmark initiative represented Australia’s first large-scale effort to improve awareness, screening and early intervention for postnatal depression, placing the country among the world’s early leaders in addressing mental health stigma and supporting new parents.
For one young mother, however, these developments came too late.
From sad beginnings
Known affectionately as ‘Gidget’, she struggled silently with perinatal mental illness and tragically died by suicide, leaving behind her loving husband and 9-month-old daughter. Her death shocked family and friends, who had been unaware of the depth of her distress and the challenges she had faced during early motherhood.
Determined that no other family should experience such a devastating loss, those closest to Gidget used their grief to drive actionable change. In Gidget’s memory, her two sisters and five close friends established Gidget Foundation Australia, an organisation dedicated to ensuring that expectant and new parents have access to support and specialised care they need during one of life’s most significant transitions.
Changing Australia’s perinatal mental health landscape
Over the last 25 years, Gidget Foundation Australia has grown from a grassroot organisation to Australia’s leading perinatal mental health service provider.
Over the same period, building on the National Perinatal Depression Initiative, the Australian Government has continued to strengthen perinatal mental healthcare through investments in screening, clinical care, workforce training, national guidelines and data collection, and improved referral pathways across Australia.
Alongside growing national commitments to perinatal mental health, Gidget Foundation Australia has evolved significantly over the past 25 years. Building on its founding mission, the Foundation has developed a comprehensive model of care that has supported close to 17,800 families across Australia. Today, more than 200 perinatal mental health clinicians deliver free* psychological therapy support services nationwide, supported by innovative programs that promote equity of access, early intervention and timely care.
In addition to face-to-face support through its network of Gidget Houses, the Foundation provides nationwide telehealth services and specialised Gidget Village group therapy program. It has also established the Gidget Training Institute, delivering perinatal mental health education, training and certification pathways for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals.
To meet growing demand, Gidget Foundation Australia invested heavily in workforce development, strengthening Australia’s specialised perinatal mental health workforce through clinical training, supervision, accredited professional education and the introduction of Australia’s first Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health in partnership with Federation University.
Our presence where it matters
The Australian Government recently committed to expanding mental health services and in line with government priorities to improve access to perinatal mental health support, Gidget Foundation Australia has also grown its national footprint. In the last two years alone, the Foundation established a presence in Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania, extending its network of Gidget Houses and specialised services across every state and territory.
Gidget Foundation Australia has strategically located Gidget Houses within major metropolitan hospitals, shopping centres, pharmacies, including those in regional and rural areas, and those in communities with large multicultural populations. This strategy is helping to reduce barriers to care and improve access to specialist perinatal mental health services. By embedding services in trusted healthcare settings and culturally diverse areas, Gidget Foundation Australia is better positioned to reach expectant and new parents from a wide range of backgrounds, ensuring support is available when and where it is needed most.
Why are parents still missing out on support
Despite 25 years of supporting parents with perinatal depression and anxiety, there are still too many parents who don’t access the care they need – parents who might minimise their symptoms, convince themselves they’re coping or believe others need help more than they do.
Gidget Foundation Australia is committed to open conversations about the realities of perinatal mental health. Yet through our work with families, we continue to meet mothers who feel ashamed for struggling with breastfeeding pain or chronic sleep deprivation, fathers who don’t realise perinatal depression and anxiety can affect men too, healthcare professionals such as nurses and midwives who fail to recognise the signs in themselves and young parents who measure themselves against impossible standards set by social media and societal expectations.
As we celebrate 25 years at Gidget Foundation Australia, we must also look ahead to ensure the Foundation continues to meet the evolving needs of parents.
Despite significant progress in expanding services and reducing barriers to support, too many parents continue to suffer in silence. We need greater awareness among expectant and new parents that feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and struggle are far more common than many realise, and that seeking help is a sign of strength, not failure. Too often, parents carry an unnecessary burden of guilt or shame, believing they should be coping better or enjoying every moment of parenthood.
As a community, we must also continue to normalise conversations about perinatal mental health and ensure every parent understands that support is available. We must also equip partners, families, workplaces, communities and healthcare professionals to recognise the signs of distress and encourage parents to seek help early.
Looking back to the beginning of Gidget Foundation Australia’s journey 25 years ago, we had no idea the impact and change Gidget’s story could have, and although we have achieved so much, there is still so much more to do.
A future without silent suffering
The next chapter of Gidget Foundation Australia’s journey will be as much about building awareness and understanding as it is about delivering services. Our vision is for a future where no parent feels alone, no struggle is hidden and every family knows that help is available when they need it most.
Gidget Foundation Australia’s upcoming Gidget Gala, the Silver Anniversary Celebration, on 12 September will bring together many of our partners, ambassadors and the families the Foundation has supported over the past 25 years. The Gala will celebrate the impact Gidget Foundation Australia has made, honour Gidget’s legacy and reinforce the importance of keeping conversations about perinatal mental health open, visible and accessible for all families. For further details: Gidget Gala
About Gidget Foundation Australia
2026 marks Gidget Foundation Australia’s 25-year anniversary. Gidget Foundation Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to support the mental health of families, from pre-conception through to early infancy, to ensure they receive accessible, timely and specialised care. As the leading national provider of perinatal mental health services, Gidget Foundation Australia provides year-long, free* individual and group perinatal mental health psychological services delivered in-person and via telehealth. Gidget Foundation Australia invests in its 200+ clinicians through innovative training, mentoring and supervision to meet growing demand. For information, resources and support options, visit gidgetfoundation.org.au or call 1300 GIDGET.
Gidget Gala 2026 Silver Celebration
For tickets to the Gidget Gala 2026 Silver Celebration – gidgetgala.org.au
7:00pm, Saturday 12 September
Grand Ballroom, ICC, Sydney
* The cost of services provided through Gidget House are funded through Medicare bulk billing. There are no out-of-pocket costs for up to 10 individual psychological therapy sessions per calendar year. A referral from a GP and a mental health treatment plan are required.
