A family connection with genU forged 70 years ago continues to be endearing, with a commitment to helping one man live his best life creating a positive impact across his lifetime.   

Robert Jukes established this connection when he joined Karingal in April 1955, as one of a small band of children who attended Karingal’s first location, the Play Centre in McPhillimy Hall in Latrobe Terrace, Geelong. 

Renowned for his perpetual smile and charming personality, Robert is a shy, private individual who takes things in his stride.  

About 30 people gathered at the genU Eastern Hub Community Centre on Monday 28 April to celebrate this milestone. 

Joined by fellow residents and day program participants, Robert enjoyed morning tea with a few familiar faces who’ve shared the journey with him and received a certificate to acknowledge the milestone achievement.

Reflecting on his brother’s 70-year connection with genU, Peter, shared how meaningful the anniversary would have been for his parents. 

“It's extraordinary for Robert…but I think the people who would be most thrilled about today are our parents, who are no longer with us, Olwyn and Kelvin Jukes,” he said. 

Acknowledging the 70th year celebration was also an opportunity to recognise the dedication of local families who came together as a community to raise the money to build the Karingal Children’s Occupation Centre, on the current genU Eastern Hub Community Centre location, where Robert would ultimately continue his enduring connection with the organisation. 

“Today is Robert's day, but it's sort of a testimony to the memory of a small but influential group of friends who raised thousands of pounds and lobbied the government to fund the organisation, to keep it going and help it grow to turn genU into what it is today,” Peter said. 

Having been raised in an environment where Karingal was central to his family’s life, Peter knows how much the organisation meant to his parents as they helped pursue the best possible outcomes for their son and other children with disability.  

“They talked about it all the time – it was one of the major objectives of their life, to make sure that Robert was okay, and to provide something, because up until then there really was nothing for people with disability,” Peter said. 

With Robert receiving the support his parents believed was crucial for his wellbeing and development, the Jukes family were heavily involved in Karingal’s progress as it evolved in the early days. 

Fully immersed in Karingal, Olwyn and Kelvin joined the Mother's and the Father's Clubs, and helped in many other ways, from organising the fetes and working bees, repairing or painting the building, to starting a garden or building bookshelves. 

“My parents were like a lot of the parents back in those days, hugely involved with the organisation, and they were on the executive committee before it became an incorporated body – it was almost a family-run organisation,” he said. 

This dynamic energy and strong sense of purpose ensured Karingal had the best chance of achieving its original aim, to create an environment where people with disability could reach their full potential. 

“It was one of the benefits of being a small community, that they recognised the strength of working together,” Peter said. 

In 1969, the Jukes family re-located to Adelaide when Kelvin accepted a work promotion. Despite the Jukes’ move to a capital city, it became apparent Geelong had created something special with Karingal, thanks to the families with hopes and dreams for their loved ones. 

Peter recalled how Robert was 19 when they moved to Adelaide and there were no options like Karingal for the Jukes to access, in a stark contrast to life being connected to a close-knit and supportive organisation. 

“Robert spent the next 12 years or so really doing nothing, just being at home all the time,” Peter said.

When his father chose early retirement in 1982, Robert and his parents returned to Geelong in a life-changing decision for the family.

“It really brought him out of himself, and it was also good for them to have a bit of time to themselves,” he said. “It was also good for them to see that he was doing something that he enjoyed doing. 

“My mother especially was just thrilled to be back and for Robert to come back to the community programs here – it made such a huge difference to his life.” 

Since then, Robert has benefited from participating in various genU programs for well over 40 years. Back to leading a full life, Robert’s days were packed – stimulating community outings, working at the plant farm at Leopold, visiting the library, attending musical mornings or concerts, he was continually busy. 

“The biggest benefit for Robert has been being out in the community, making friendships and just having stimulation, with different influences and meeting new people all the time,” Peter said. 

“He loves it, but for years he just called it going to work – I used to say, ‘I wish I had a job like yours, Robert!’” 

Robert is also celebrating another milestone this year, 20 years as a resident at McAllister House. 

After his father died in the mid-90s, Peter had returned to Geelong to live with his mother, who had severe osteoporosis, and support her in caring for Robert. Before she passed away in 2010, Olwyn was determined to see her son living contentedly in a new home. In 2005, Robert was offered a place at McAllister and this created peace of mind for Olwyn knowing Robert would be taken care of in the future. 

“When he moved in, that was fantastic, and it was so good for our mum to see that he was settled somewhere decent,” Peter said. “And it was great for him, too, because in a lot of ways he's really blossomed living there.” 

Robert currently resides with four housemates including one of his closest friends, Robyn, the pair sharing many a joke and laugh, often at the expense of staff, and getting plenty of joy bantering with each other.   

Describing how genU has supported Robert to help him live his best life, Peter paid tribute to the staff for their kindness, compassion and caring attitude. 

“The support workers, the people who are in the front line, are fabulous, they're special people, by and large,” Peter said. 

“I’ve always admired them hugely. Robert has had some wonderful friendships with some of the people he has met through programs and accommodation over the years.” 

In Peter’s experience, the visionary approach parents adopted in the 1950s created a local community that was genuinely inclusive before its time and became an exemplar of how everyone should be treated.  

“Geelong's a city which is really welcoming to people with all sorts of disabilities,” he said. 

“A friend of mine came to visit years ago and commented on the fact there were so many people with intellectual disability they'd seen in the street. 

“I replied, ‘Yeah, isn't that fantastic, that they're able to be part of our community, that they're accepted, they're welcomed, and they have the ability to partake in normal community activities’.

“That’s great and this organisation has been hugely responsible for that.”