‘Ansett’ is a name familiar to most Australians; the airline founded by and named after Sir Reginald Myles Ansett operated in Australia for 66 years, and was a popular carrier until its sudden collapse (following an acquisition by Air New Zealand) in the early noughties. However, Sir Reginald Myles Ansett left another significant, if lesser-known legacy: the R.M. Ansett Trust.

Since its establishment in 2010, the Trust has made more than $5.2m in philanthropic grants, with MacKillop Family Services, a national Catholic community agency, among the grateful recipients. Through MacKillop Family Services, the R.M. Ansett Trust was able to sponsor the creation of a ‘sensory garden’ at Morgan House, a residential care unit for vulnerable young women and their babies in Melbourne’s east. This unique and beautiful garden was carefully designed to be “a space where the babies can learn through their sense – a real lawn to lie on, trees to listen to in the wind, plants to touch and flowers to smell” – an outdoor sanctuary for both the young mothers and their children.

Every year, the R.M. Ansett Trust continues to support projects like these in line with its objective: “to assist children to take their place in life.” Equity Trustees is proud to have the Trust as part of our Philanthropy portfolio.