CAIRNS NEWSPAPERS > LOCAL NEWS
Lone fathers do it tough -->
George Donnelly, President of the Cairns Lone Fathers Association knows first hand, the hardships men endure when going through separation.
It’s a truism to say there are no winners in a divorce.
Men in particular are often hit hard, dealing with loss, separation and courts which many men say rules in the favour of women.
Some men, faced with these challenges, give up the fight.
George Donnelly, President of the Cairns branch of the Lone Fathers Association has experienced divorce first hand and now offers help and support to other men facing similar circumstances.
“I got involved in the Lone Father’s Associations in the 90s.
I had a wife and a house and kids and I grew up in the old fashioned way.
I came first and then my wife came along and the kids came along and I was responsible and I worked hard and I did that for 25 years.”
When George’s wife met someone else, she also took out a twelve - month domestic violence order against him, which stated, “she feared he may at some time become violent.”
“I was the second person in Australia to get one of these, they’d just introduced them.
I was kicked out of my house of 28 days and told never to go back there again,” he said.
“I started protesting because I felt the law was wrong.
You didn’t have to prove anything, you just had to say, ‘I fear.”
“I got involved because of the injustice of it, I had no say, and I virtually didn’t exist.
I didn’t like that you could be taken out of your house on a word and have no rights, no rights.” “I stood for three days in the rain protesting, in Canberra.
Barry Williams, Ex-President of the Lone Father’s Association came along and said, ‘why don’t you spend your energies helping us?’ and that’s how I got involved.”
Remarried and living in Cairns, George runs the Cairns branch and says there’s about 20 blokes involved at the moment. “People come and go as they get their problems solved.
We don’t have regular meetings, it’s more informal support.” George says there are many who need help and he’s glad he’s been able to make some difference.
“The thing I’ve been able to do is grow my life back again, but also help a lot of people. No matter how angry you are, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
He said The Lone Father’s Association encourages parents to seek support and sustain their children within a happy positive family environment.
Their website can be accessed at lonefathers.com.au Father’s needing support can contact George on 0438 465 883.
