History
Endeavour Foundation was founded in 1951 by a group of parents of children with intellectual disabilities . Initially called the Queensland Sub-Normal Children's Welfare Association, the group received the patronage of Sir Fred Schonell, the first Professor of Education and later Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland. Schonell was Endeavour's first President and extended his research interest in education for people with disabilities by creating the Remedial Education Centre (now known as the Fred and Eleanor Schonell Special Education Research Centre), one of the first of its kind in the world.
In its first two years of operation, the organisation registered 300 children with intellectual disabilities. The Association's first school and support group were established in a member's home, but moved to a large property in Bowen Hills in Brisbane in 1955. Endeavour's Head Office, one regional office and a non-vocational day service were previously based at the location, now known as Schonell House in Jordan Terrace, which was sold to property developer BMI Group in the late 2000s and has since been onsold.
By 1954, the Association had grown beyond Brisbane, with the formation of the first regional sub-committees in Toowoomba and Ipswich. The organisation continued to expand rapidly, opening its first service for adults, a sheltered workshop in Bowen Hills, and its first accommodation service in Toowoomba in 1964.
In 1982 the Association voted to enact a change of name from the Queensland Sub-Normal Children's Welfare Association to the Endeavour Foundation, reflecting a change in societal attitudes towards people with disabilities and the organisation's growth.
By 1984 the organisation had grown to provide services to 3440 people in 19 non-vocational day services for adults, 25 schools, 12 sheltered workshops, 6 farms, 34 adult residential homes, 24 group homes and 13 clinics across the state. In 1986 the provision of education to children was taken over by the Queensland Department of Education, and Endeavour's focus moved to services for adults.
Through the 1980s and 1990s Endeavour continued to grow, despite recognition that the organisation was losing thousands of dollars per week through the provision of services to people without individualised funding packages by the Queensland Government. This resulted in the shedding of major property assets by the organisation, and the movement and closure of some services.
Currently, Endeavour is divided into five geographical Areas for administrative purposes, North (incorporating Far North Queensland down to Townsville), Central (Bundaberg down to Gympie), Sunshine Coast, South East (including Brisbane and the Gold Coast) and South West (from Ipswich west to the Northern Territory border). The organisation is governed by an elected board.
In September 2009, Endeavour Foundation acquired Cumberland Industries of western Sydney, providing employment for a further 610 people with a disability; making Endeavour the largest non-government provider of direct disability employment in Australia.
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