Our History

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Relationships Australia was founded over 60 years ago, with the aim of providing support and advice to people experiencing difficulties in their marriages, during the social upheaval of the post war period. At that stage, it was known as The Marriage Guidance Council.

Australia’s first Marriage Guidance Councils, relying heavily on the British model for keeping husbands and wives together through counselling and educative programs about marriage and family living, were established in Sydney and Melbourne in 1948. Over the next few years the other States followed suit and by 1952 the national organisation had been established.

From the start, the national gold standards were marriage and relationship counselling and education; setting professional standards; and training and accreditation.

A 1968 report by the NMGCA National Secretary, after visiting counselling staff across the country, described ‘a recognisable common quality of spirit and skill that distinguishes them as having been trained within the Marriage Guidance Council framework’.

Though the 1960s was a period of massive social upheaval around the world, the Marriage Guidance Council still saw its core purpose as preventing marriage breakdown. In the next decade, however, changes in family law heralded a different emphasis for the counselling profession. Personal relationships in all their diversity and complexity were considered.

Whilst counselling to help people maintain their relationships remained a priority, if a marriage had broken down, it was now considered best to encourage an amicable approach to separation, particularly if there were children involved. As well as the “rights and obligations” of husbands and wives, parental responsibility was on the agenda. The introduction of no-fault divorce often provided a less fraught atmosphere for a parting of the ways. Thus mediation services were set up and community education courses now included topics such as ‘rebuilding after separation’ and ‘living in a step-family.’
By the early 90s, the title Marriage Guidance Council was beginning to seem outdated and even misleading. Many more couples were living together, without having married, but still sometimes needing guidance on emotional issues affecting their partnership.

In 1994 the Councils in all States agreed to the new name Relationships Australia, signifying a broad approach that valued all kinds of personal relationships in a healthy society. Relationships Australia is all about quality relationships.

Among the steps taken towards a more enlightened professionalism have been: the requirement that clinical staff have tertiary qualifications; an increased awareness of domestic violence and the development of appropriate practice models; an increased awareness of the importance of the voices of children being heard and their well being considered paramount; and the range and style of services provided having expanded way beyond the ‘staples’ of counselling, community education and mediation.

Counselling services have expanded to encompass individuals and families, education programs cover pre-marriage, couple relationships, post-separation, step-families, communication skills and fly-in fly-out relationships. The growth in the community services sector has led to the development of services that now include: family dispute resolution, child contact services and Family Relationship Centres.

These, and many more steps, have shaped Relationships Australia into the dynamic, professional organisation it is today, constantly refining and adding services to support all kinds of relationships, reflecting the complexity of 21st century life.