Joan Healey, born in Melbourne in 1934, worked various jobs, including pressing shirts in a factory, as a lingerie salesgirl, clerk telephonist and assistant librarian, until she was offered a journalism cadetship at Murdoch’s Woman’s Day magazine. She went on to work at Adelaide News Ltd and ABC Sydney radio news.

Joan then hitchhiked and camped around Australia for six months, before heading off on overseas adventures for several years, and found herself in London. Looking for work, she discovered adventure playgrounds and landed a job in a rough part of the East End working at one.

After deciding to return home to Melbourne, Joan brought back information about adventure playgrounds with her, and reluctantly agreed to try one as a short holiday program in Fitzroy.

Joan currently lives in Altona, Melbourne, with her foster grandson, Haylen.