Malcolm Turnbull adds his tributes to Russell King who has died aged 64
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has paid tribute to the man behind what he has called “one of the great social institutions in the east”.
Wentworth Courier
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Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has paid tribute to the man behind “one of the great social institutions in the east”.
Russell King, who died earlier this month after a battle with cancer, left a great impression on the eastern suburbs community and the former PM.
Mr King, who was 64, had served as WAYS Youth and Family CEO for 30 years and pushed the Bondi group to new heights.
From a dilapidated council terrace in Bondi Junction, WAYS expanded into an alternative high school for year 9 to 12 students in Bondi Beach, and wide-ranging youth and family services including counselling, specialist education workshops, vocational youth training and after school care.
During his time as Wentworth MP, Mr Turnbull crossed paths with Mr King many times.
Speaking to the Wentworth Courier from New York, he said: “He was a really remarkable, charismatic man who changed lives. He really saved lives.
“He just lived a commitment to love. Absolutely unquestioning, non-judging love for young people,” Mr Turnbull said.
“There isn’t another Russell King … It’s very sad we’ve lost him.”
He acknowledged the “privilege” he and his wife Lucy Turnbull had in working with WAYS during his time in office.
“What WAYS has basically been able to do is help young people who have for whatever reason run off the rails, in the sense that they’ve dropped out of school or fallen by the wayside,” he said.
“The ability to provide much more intense personal attention and get these kids back to studying and completing their HSC, and then being able to get back on track and on to university or a job or whatever.”
Mr Turnbull said there is an “idea that the east is only Bellevue Hill and Vaucluse”.
“Averages are always misleading,” he said.
“The WAYS catchment area is not just Bondi and Bronte, it covers all the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
“Families that are in the area that are doing really well and families really struggling, single parents, kids in foster care.”
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