SANE pioneers: Dr Margaret Leggatt AM

Co-founder and patron of SANE

1986 - current

Her eyes sparkling with intelligence and good humour, Marg Leggatt is as full of energy today as she was in the 1980s, when she founded SANE.

When Marg realised in the mid-1980s she was ‘swamped’ by the amount of work that needed to be done in the mental health sector, she knew something had to change.

Having established the Schizophrenia Fellowship in Victoria some years earlier, Marg went on to support the founding of similar organisations in other states. But as demands on her increased, coupled with constant travel and her inability to say no to a challenge, Marg soon realised that things needed to change.

After talking to colleagues and looking at various options, Marg soon became convinced there was a need for a distinct, entirely new type of organisation.

‘A growing number of organisations were providing invaluable, on-the-ground services around the country, but there was a gaping need for a body which took a national perspective – one that could concentrate on high-level advocacy and campaigning without trying to run programs at the same time,’ Marg reflects.

‘We needed to be able to provide urgently-needed information and referral to people affected by mental illness and their families, while not relying on government support or representing one single constituency. We had to be truly independent, professional and agile. The focus needed to be different and so did the skillset.’

While Marg had a clear vision of what was needed, nothing could happen without funding. In pulling together a Board of Directors for the new organisation, Marg reached out to business contacts as well as those with mental health experience and expertise.

‘We were immensely lucky when a highly-respected figure, Sir Edward Woodward, agreed to be our first Chairman,’ says Marg. ‘There was such stigma and shame associated with mental illness, so his public support sent a message to mainstream Australia that this was a cause which concerned everyone.’

Marg was also given an introduction to John Carden, Finance Director of CRA, who was a formidable figure who didn't suffer fools gladly. She remembers sitting on the edge of her seat in his office at 101 Collins Street feeling rather apprehensive.

‘I explained the impact of schizophrenia on young people and their families,’ says Marg. ‘After a moment's silence, he simply asked “What can I do to help?”’

‘John joined us as our first Treasurer and led the fundraising effort by doing it the hard way – tapping friends and business colleagues on the arm and asking them to do the right thing by our cause. Andrew Grummet of Price Waterhouse Coopers was soon working alongside him. Other prominent business figures also joined the Board, including Sir David Zeidler, Chairman of ICI Australia, and Macquarie Bank's Robin Crawford.’

With this backing from the corporate sector, Marg worked with Anne Deveson and others to plan Australia's first major advertising campaign on mental illness. Using TV, print and outdoor ads, the controversial campaign was aimed squarely at the general public. The campaign’s message was: ‘you might prefer to ignore it, but you can't. Whether you like it or not, schizophrenia is a tragedy for someone you know, so let's do something about it.’

Marg Leggatt has since worked at Deakin University and with Professor Pat McGorry at Orygen Youth Health. She continues to be a tireless advocate for families affected by complex mental illness. She is a Patron of SANE.

There was a huge need for an organisation like SANE thirty years ago, and while we have made some progress since, the need is just as great today.