Our history

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3 decades of youth services...

From its earliest days as a volunteer run crisis youth refuge based in rural Ingleside, Burdekin has evolved over the years in response to meeting the needs of disadvantaged and homeless young people and those who are at risk of becoming homeless.

Our early days. 1990-1999

In the earliest days a volunteer run crisis youth refuge was opened by Neville Wran in rural Ingleside. Over time, the refuge was handed over to the Manly Warringah Youth Accommodation Association and continued to operate as an eight bed crisis centre.

Throughout the 1990’s, the Manly Warringah Youth Accommodation Association also managed Birkley Cottage in Manly, providing a six bed therapeutic medium and long-term refuge accommodation and a Youth Housing Scheme at Dee Why, operating 17 beds of semi-supported housing.

Following a review, the refuge was closed down in 1997 and the whole service was reorganised and emerged as a unique and innovative service.

In March 1997, the Out-of-Home Care program was developed and began accommodating young people. During this time, the Early Intervention and Family Support and Outreach, and separate After Care programs, were trialled.

Burdekin’s intra-agency projects at this time included the establishment of a pregnant young women and young parent’s accommodation project. In November 1997, all staff moved to a central office in Dee Why.

In 1998, the Association was renamed Burdekin Inc. after former Federal Human Rights Commissioner Professor Brian Burdekin, AO. Professor Brian Burdekin wrote the 1989 ‘Our Homeless Children’ report, which detailed child poverty and abuse in Australia, and criticised the federal government for failing to look after children in their care.

Burdekin. 2000-2009

In the early 2000’s, Burdekin moved to a new home at Brookvale, gained accreditation by The Office of the Children’s Guardian, and became a Community Housing Provider.

Burdekin integrated existing services and developed new programs in response to the ‘Our Homeless Children’ report, in order to create an accommodation, care and support continuum which was responsive to the individual needs of a diverse range of young people (12 to 21 years) and their families. It involved creating a range of flexible and innovative programs to support the immediate and changing needs of young people and families. A client-directed case management approach was adopted, as well as a strong commitment to team work, co-operation and collaboration with local agencies.

The change of approach allowed Burdekin to work with more challenging clients, including those with drug dependence, mental illness and self-harming behaviour.

The person-centric nature of services, combined with a flexibility of approach and a commitment to creating solutions greatly enhanced the ability of staff to work with challenging young people. Burdekin’s Case Managers worked across all program areas, giving them the opportunity to develop strong relationships with young people and their families.

By 2000, Burdekin was recognised by the Department of Community Services as one of the most progressive supported accommodation services in NSW.

Burdekin moved into new office premises in Brookvale in February 2004, to accommodate the increasing numbers of staff. Burdekin became the second organisation to gain accreditation through the Office of the Children’s Guardian in 2004. Burdekin also received a Certificate of Registration as a Community Housing Provider under the Housing Act 2001 (NSW) as a class 4 provider in 2009.

Burdekin. 2010-2019

In the 2014 – 2015 financial year, Burdekin assisted 128 young people and their families, accommodating 74 young people and providing general support and outreach to 54 young people.

2014 was also the year when Burdekin held our inaugural Charity Golf Day at Cromer Golf Club and became the lead agency in the Northern Beaches Project – a collaboration of local schools and services with the aim of reducing family breakdown, school disengagement and homelessness.

The Northern Beaches Project was launched by then Minister of Family and Community Services, Brad Hazzard.

In 2015 Burdekin also secured $90,000 in funding from the Property Industry Foundation (PIF) to renovate Birkley Cottage, the results of which were overwhelmingly positive for both the young people and staff.

Burdekin partnered with the University of New South Wales in the financial year 2015 – 2016, to develop an outcome measurement tool for our case management and accommodation program. This tool enabled us to track the journey of our clients while they were with us, helping us demonstrate and celebrate the success of our young people and guide continuous quality improvement.

2016 saw the retirement of our long term Executive Officer Karen Berman, who had been with Burdekin for 22 years! In the same year, Justene Gordon was appointed to fill her shoes. Justene was also honoured with the 2016 Warringah Council Citizen of the Year award.

At the time, 70 per cent of Burdekin’s clients were enrolled in school or TAFE, with the remaining 30 per cent engaged in employment.

Burdekin also became a community partner of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and was invited by the Seaforth Arts Festival to be a beneficiary of the event .

2016 – 2017 saw the development of the Quality Assurance Framework funded by the Mary Vernon Foundation. Burdekin took a lead role in coordinating a group training program aimed at anger management called ‘RAGE’ (Re-navigating Angry and Guilty Emotions).

The Single Independent Living program for young people 16–17 years old was established in 2017 to assist young people who needed some support while they developed the skills to live independently. Additionally, the Youth Advisory Group was established.

In the 2017 to 2018 financial year, Burdekin established the Family Interventions Program with a greater focus on longer term, therapeutic assistance to families, a stronger focus on parents, more diverse means to assist families and a greater number of access points. It was also the year The Avalon Youth Hub (now Beaches Youth Hub) came to be inspired by Ian Bowsher of Barrenjoey High School. He identified the urgent need for mental health assistance and programs for young people on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

The Single Independent Living program for young people 16 – 17 years old was established in 2017 to assist young people who needed some support while they developed the skills to live independently.

Link Housing launched HomeSweet2017, with Burdekin being a sole beneficiary, raising over $120,000. Our CEO, Justene Gordon won the Premier’s Award Pittwater in 2018. Warren Welsh, Housing and Assurance Manager and a long term employee was voted Westfield Warringah Mall Local Hero in 2018.

2018-2019 saw immense growth in Burdekin’s Out of Home Care program, the Supported Family Group Home model, as well as the introduction of a new Supported Independent Living model that enabled young people in care to extend their stay up to the age of 19.

Burdekin. 2020-present day

July 2020 saw one of our biggest changes in the past few decades, as Burdekin took over Stretch-A-Family’s (SAF) Residential Care Services Program in the Inner West of Sydney.

In the 2022 - 23 financial year, one of the biggest achievements was the renewed accreditation of Burdekin’s services through the Australian Services and Excellence Standards, a process which takes place every three years. All NSW homelessness providers were required to be accredited as of June 30, 2024.

Burdekin was one of the first Specialist Homelessness Service providers to achieve accreditation in 2020 and achieved re-accreditation in 2023 with an enhanced rating compared to the previous occasion.

In 2023, Burdekin commenced the Burdekin Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and engaged Aunty Barbara as a consultant to guide our work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

In September 2024, Burdekin officially became known as Burdekin (it’s how we’re affectionately known, anyway!) Our organisation is also now structured as a company limited by guarantee - a common framework for not-for-profit organisations in Australia. This structure allows us to focus on our purpose, ensuring that all resources are directed towards empowering young lives and supporting our community.

Along with the name change, Burdekin unveiled its brand refresh and blueprint. Our brand refresh is more than just about a logo or a tagline - it’s a reflection of who we are. It's informed by our values and vision, rooted in our culture and designed to connect with individuals and communities passionate about supporting young people.

Through our brand refresh, we aim to communicate our staunch dedication to preventing youth homelessness and promoting wellbeing.

Burdekin’s rapid growth brings with it change and transformation. We have reviewed and reimagined our Essence, Ambition, Values and our strategy for the future in consultation with our staff, board, community stakeholders and partners.