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.
Publications View All
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The Cubbies
Joan Healey
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The Cubbies
Joan Healey
Events
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ANU Meet the Author – Leigh Boucher & Michelle Arrow
Australian National University
Cultural Centre, 153 University Avenue, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Leigh Boucher and Michelle Arrow will be in conversation with Frank Bongiorno on their book, with Barbara Baird and Robert Reynolds, Personal Politics Sexuality, Gender and the Remaking of Citizenship in Australia, an insightful...
Verge 2024: Click Launch
The Alderman
134 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, VIC
In the eighteenth edition of this creative anthology, 26 writers explore consonance and assonance that rattle like a chattering jaw, narratives composed of hyperlinked rabbit-holing, and stories that tick with...
Dave Witty ‘The Lost Children’s Tree’ – Words in Winter Festival
The Lost Childrens Cairn Memorial Reserve
4360 Midland Hwy, Daylesford, VIC
As part of this year’s Words in Winter festival, I will be doing a special talk. I’m telling the story of the three children who went missing in Daylesford in...
ANU Meet the Author – Leigh Boucher & Michelle Arrow
Australian National University Cultural Centre, 153 University Avenue, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaLeigh Boucher and Michelle Arrow will be in conversation with Frank Bongiorno on their book, with Barbara Baird and Robert Reynolds, Personal Politics Sexuality, Gender and the Remaking of Citizenship in Australia, an insightful...
Verge 2024: Click Launch
The Alderman 134 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, VICIn the eighteenth edition of this creative anthology, 26 writers explore consonance and assonance that rattle like a chattering jaw, narratives composed of hyperlinked rabbit-holing, and stories that tick with...
Dave Witty ‘The Lost Children’s Tree’ – Words in Winter Festival
The Lost Childrens Cairn Memorial Reserve 4360 Midland Hwy, Daylesford, VICAs part of this year’s Words in Winter festival, I will be doing a special talk. I’m telling the story of the three children who went missing in Daylesford in...
