Our History

For the past 70 years, Cootharinga has been part of our community, working alongside people with disabilities and their families. It’s a lot of history to look back on, and a great opportunity to look forward and imagine our future.

Cootharinga is a profit-for-purpose, charitable community organisation that plays a major role in North and far North Queensland communities by supporting people who live with disabilities.

Our history demonstrates how a group of caring and committed citizens can start a chain of events that changed the world for people with disabilities.

Cootharinga was founded in 1951 in response to community concerns for the care, education and training of children who contracted poliomyelitis during the poliomyelitis epidemic. Cootharinga was originally called the North Queensland Society for Crippled Children.

The official opening of the Cootharinga Home for Crippled Children in Townsville on 22 June, 1957 was the fulfilment of more than six years of volunteering and hard work since Cootharinga had been established. 70 years on, we have grown throughout North and far North Queensland with over 1000 staff and customers building a better world with people of all abilities. 

In 1991, the North Queensland Society for Crippled Children changed its name to Cootharinga Society of North Queensland, with the focus going from disability to ability and from institutionalised settings to community-based environments. Today it is known as Cootharinga North Queensland.

While the original poliomyelitis epidemic has passed, the need for Cootharinga and our valuable work has not. Today Cootharinga operates throughout Townsville, Cairns, Mackay, Mount Isa, and far North Queensland.

Our History