our history

2020

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 25th birthday
• The fifth National Day of Women living with HIV, celebrated on 9 March. As the Chair of Femfatales, Katherine Leane presented on the work of Femfatales at an event in Sydney NSW along with other events organised through NAPWHA
• PLSA having a 4-year audit to enable applying for community grants
• Positive Life NSW supports Positive Life SA in creating and maintaining a new website
• PLG held in Feb and March then COVID-19 hit
• PLG resumed in October 2020 with 25 attendees and a positive vibe
• PLSA Board keen to get back on track with Needs Assessment
• PLSA keen on strengthening partnerships across health and HIV sector

2019

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 24th birthday
• The fourth National Day of Women living with HIV, celebrated on 9 March. Positive Life NSW (PLNSW) at a morning tea in Camperdown, Sydney NSW to hold a consultation with women living with HIV. Click here to read the report from this consultation
• Candle light Memorial event held in partnership with SAMESH
• Distributed Futures 2019 survey to the community
• PLG well attended for 12 months with between 10 and 20 community members and massage on offer from Hugh
• PLSA Board volunteered at Bunnings Sausage Sizzle for WAD 1 Dec 2019
• PLSA and SAMESH partnered for WAD gathering
• PLG Christmas Party highly successful

2018

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 23rd birthday
• The third National Day of Women Living with HIV, celebrated on 9 March
• PLG hosted by PLSA at the SAMESH offices on the 3rd Friday of the month
• July adapted the PLNSW flyer Silence=Death for SA and distributed on World AIDS Day
• September we held a Community Forum hosted by SAMESH to discuss SA Futures, Poz in Prevention and the closure of the respite facility at Cheltenham
• PLSA started a community needs assessment and developed and distributed a survey to PLHIV community
• Input and support from PLNSW, SAMESH and NAPWHA over this year
• 10 November PLSA marched in PRIDE March

2017

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 22nd birthday
• The second National Day of Women Living with HIV, is celebrated on 9 March
• We held a Community Forum and voted to remain incorporated and operate with a volunteer group and seek corporate funds.
• PLSA received a final instalment from MAC to continue paying for ambulance subscriptions
• PLSA participated in PRIDE March with our banner and flag
• PLSA moved into hot desk at SIN (Sex Industry Network)

2016

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 21th birthday
• On 9 March, we celebrate the inaugural National Day of Women living with HIV in Australia, an annual awareness-raising day created by Femfatales, a network of women living with HIV.
• As the Chair of Femfatales, Katherine Leane celebrates in conjunction with Positive Life NSW, ACON, Pozhet and NAPWHA in Sydney on 9 March.
• Without government funding we utilised savings to keep on EO to source alternate funds but unsuccessful
• With rising costs and no new income, the doors of the Positive Living Center (PLC) closed on 26 August 2016
• Fortunately, a previous motion to close the organisation was rescinded and at a special SGM where the positive community voted to continue as an advocacy incorporated organisation. 
• SIN, the Sex Industry Network, and their national organisation Scarlett Alliance, agreed to support PLSA with the offer of a shared location at their premises one day a week at Mile End.

2015

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 20th birthday
• Despite an impeccable record of financial accountability, community connection and effective service delivery for the past 20 years, Positive Life SA loses all our government funding to the Victorian AIDS Council and ShineSA.
• All our client services ceased on 30 June 2015
• World AIDS Day, 1 December, Positive Life SA PSB speakers and PLSA Board members educated both staff and customers at the Marion Westfield Store.
• As part of International Women’s Day (IWD) the HIV Women’s Project and PLSA  produced a resource profiling African and Asian Women Living  with HIV and dealing with Stigma and Discrimination in South Australia titled ‘Identity and Secrecy‘

2014

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 19th birthday
• Board and Staff attended the AIDS Conference in Melbourne
• Participated in Mobilisation March at Conference and the Candlelight Memorial at Federation Square
• Ran HIV and Ageing Project (2 resources developed and 2 workshops)

2013

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 18th birthday
• February we held an Afternoon Tea for Politicians at PLC to update who we are and what we do
• Feb/March the creation of the PLSA Facebook page Profile and Page to promote activities, events, fundraising and services
• May PLSA/MAC contract to provide funds to support RR/BGF funding of HIVE and Ambulance subscriptions
• PSB presented 21 presentations to total audience of 824 people
• PLSA received 17% funding cuts at a loss of $80,000
• Hepatitis SA provided three monthly sessions on Hep C and HIV co-infection
• The Board adopted the UNESCO Human Rights Based Prevention Education Guide as a guiding document for PLSA
• 13 October POZ day out Family Fun Day between PLSA and HIV Women’s Project was attended by 75 people
• PLSA Community volunteers provided 4000 hours of volunteer work
• We ran series of HIV Treatments Workshops, Sexual Function and HIV Treatments, HIV/Hep C co-infection, Latest Developments in HIV and You and Your Doctor with a total of 125 attendees
• Increasing pressure to seek alternate funding sources to government
• 5662 total website visits

2012

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 17th birthday
• Designed new packaging for FC2 Female condoms
• Two consultative workshops held to develop the SA HIV Disclosure Guide with PLSA and HALC
• 22 June we held Planet POZ at Caos Cafe
• 22-24th June the Rural Life+ weekend retreat was held for PLHIV living in the country
• 1-30 June the Positive Life Arts and Writing Exhibition held at Bliss Organic Cafe
• 10 year celebration of the HIVE, the PLSA Food Store is a significant milestone
• 1 Sept Candlelight Memorial removed out of AAW creating a stand alone event. Name reading, viewing of quilts and then a celebration of our lives and our resilience
• WAD Leadership Breakfast at Parliament House with Health Minister along with all the PLSA Board and two Staff
• October HIV Women’s Project and PLSA held a Women’s Forum

2011

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 16th birthday
• Leadership Breakfast for WAD held at the Richmond Hotel was attended by Leader of the Opposition and several MPs
• RR/BGF fund transferred from ACSA with only $10,000. The PLSA Board made the hard decision to cover only SA Ambulance subscriptions and no longer HIV medications

2010

• Positive Life SA celebrates our 15th birthday
• PLWHA (SA) farewells Madeleine Pattingale as Manager
• Rob O’Brien employed as Acting-Executive Officer and later becomes the Executive Officer
• 24 August 2010 we held a Special General Meeting to update the constitution and members vote to change the organisation name to Positive Life SA

2009

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 14th birthday
• No Interest Loan Scheme launched
• Community tools library begins operation
• PLWHA (SA) enters into a new Government contract to become a Health Promotion orientated organisation, resulting a restructure of staff.
• An updated Strategic Plan is in its infancy to complement the new contract.

2008

• The HIVE celebrates our 5 year anniversary
• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 13th birthday
• February retreat at Aldinga for people living with HIV
• Young Poz Gays support group begins in March
• April, May & June the Board does extensive workshops to make changes to our Constitution
• PLWHA (SA) instigates a forum re: advocacy action with disclosure of HIV to sexual partners
• PSB handbook is launched in September
• New constitution is adopted on 30 September
• In November, Tony Minge elected President and Katherine Leane as Vice President.

2007

• Formation of our Poz Het group
• Workshops continue to finalise updated our Strategic Plan
• Birthday fundraising Cabaret held on 11 Feb
• Workshop for updating our Constitution
• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 12th birthday
• The HIVE wins the GALA award for outstanding community support & Desi d’Orsay Lawrence wins an award in the Care & Support category
• 1st August PLWHA (SA) launched our very first logo alongside the launch of our 2007/2010 Strategic Plan.

2006

• PLWHA (SA) B/day fundraiser 26th Feb
• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 11th birthday
• Extensive workshops for updating our Strategic Plan begins
• Ex-President Shaun McCausland dies in March
• Retreat held 7-10 April for people living with HIV
• We welcome Madeleine Pattingale as our new Manager
• PSB wins Community Service award & Tony Minge wins the Leadership award at the GALA’s
• New logo designs presented at AGM for consultation
• Board induction manual is instituted

2005

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 10th birthday
• Adelaide hosts NAPWHA conference: Our Place, Your Place – In the Bigger Picture
• NAPWA Declaration of Rights launched at Adelaide conference
• We farewell Chris Browne as Manager

2004

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 9th birthday
• The introduction of three Board Portfolios: Advocacy, Fundraising and Media (Pos Talk)
• The HIVE began operating in February
• September noted the signing of an MOU between PLWHA (SA) & ACSA

2003

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 8th birthday
• PLWHA (SA) receives a $7000 grant from ANET to produce its first Strategic Plan
• Pilot program the HIVE food store begins its first year trial with funds from ACSA & infrastructure from PLWHA (SA)
• PLWHA (SA) welcomes Chris Browne as Manager in March
• We farewell David Vermeeren as President
• We welcome Tony Minge as Acting President & Katherine Leane as Acting Vice-President

2002

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 7th birthday
• Steve Asher took on the role of President & Tony Minge as Vice-President.
• In November, David Vermeeren elected President

2001

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 6th birthday
• We farewelled Shaun McCausland as President & welcomed Steve Asher as Acting President.
• Later in that year, Tony Minge filled the role of Acting President and David Vermeeren became Acting Vice-President

2000

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 5th birthday
• Negotiations with the funding body see an increase in funding so that PLWHA (SA) can employ a Manager instead of a Coordinator.
• In April, we welcomed the appointment of Mary Anne Lovejoy as Manager
• Clean needle program started at the PLC
• A review of the Transport service began
• In June, Shaun McCausland was elected as President and Katherine Leane as Vice President

1999

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 4th birthday
• Suzi Quixley facilitated & produced the development review, “Name It, Own It, Deal With It and Move On” which was completed in October
• For the first time in Australian HIV history, PLWHA (SA) had our first Indigenous President, Rodney Junga Williams & our first Indigenous Centre Coordinator, Neville Fazulla at the same time.
• Katherine Leane was elected Vice-President
• We farewelled Rodney Junga Williams and Shaun McCausland becomes President
• We farewelled Neville Fazulla as Centre Coordinator
• We welcomed the appointment of Damien Dempsey as Volunteers’ Coordinator

1998

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 3rd birthday
• PLWHA (SA) changed from being a Committee to a Board of Management
• PLWHA (SA) ceased the 1800 info line due to the development of a national 1800 HIV Health Information line
• February saw PLWHA (SA) become involved with the Family Camp
• On 16 October, PLC ceased operations at Rosemont and on 19 October, began operations at Glandore
• In June, Julian Nicholls was elected as President and John McKenna as Vice President

1997

• PLWHA (SA) celebrates our 2nd birthday
• After being launched & dedicated by the Honourable Don Dunstan, PLWHA (SA) began operations on the 1st April at Rosemont, Kensington Road Norwood
• Dennis Cook was Centre Coordinator
• Rosemont Advisory Committee formed
• Alan Sulley was Convenor & John McKenna was Alternate Convenor

1996

• PLWHA (SA) celebrated our 1st birthday on 1st May at ADAC
• Training began for new positive speakers and volunteers for the 1800 peer support line
• In April we started the 1800 peer support line
• A forum held in May focusing on the relocation of the PLC
• 25 June a public meeting was held at Richmond Hotel with the decision to split from ACSA
• The current format of Positively Talking started bi-monthly editions
• PLWHA (SA) employed our first paid staff
• Alan Sulley was Convenor & Shaun McCausland was Alternate Convenor and Secretary

1995

• An incorporation forum was held on 10th April in which the first committee was elected
• PLWHA (SA) incorporated 26 April 1995
• A forum was held 8 May to actively seek representation on Government task force, ACSA & NAPWHA
• 6 November saw the common seal used for the lease of premises at 180A Gray Street, Adelaide, to give the association an independent location
• Transfer of the management of the Positive Speakers Bureau (PSB) on 20 November