On May 25 1954, a small group of people with disabilities met in the R.S.L. at Rockdale and established the St George District Fellowship of The Poliomyelitis Society. The founding President, Ashley Coope, and the Committee at that time probably had no idea that this simple beginning would still be a thriving organisation fifty years later, the St George Association for People with Physical Disabilities Incorporated.

Irrespective of the years of membership, though, we are all part of the family of St George. We are here today to celebrate our golden anniversary, a wonderful achievement for a self help, self funded organisation created by and continually managed by people with disabilities. And we have done it all with the unstinting support of most generous supporters, individuals and organisations alike. We are proud to say that the Association has not drawn on the Government purse to achieve our goals, as we long ago decided that the needs of our members were more important than fitting into the restrictive criteria of so many of the Government's funding programs.

The Associaion has undergone significant change through the years, growing from a fellowship of the Polio Society to take in members with other physical disabilities; expanding its horizons to establish an innovative project aimed to achieve accommodation for people with disabilities based purely on their need rather than their finances; realizing its potential as a separate entity, moving in a different direction to its former parent organisation; taking a strong stance on issues for people with disabilities as the advocacy movement grew; and eventually purchasing a property at Belmore, providing accommodation and a beautiful meeting facility for the Association's activities.