Anthony Cavanagh, Ganbina CEO, 57: Q&A

Anthony Cavanagh was homeless as a kid after being abandoned by his parents. His life journey, and his mission, are inspiring.

Success story: Anthony Cavanagh

You are the CEO of Ganbina, a Shepparton-based organisation that has mentored many hundreds of Indigenous kids, helping them to achieve better education outcomes and employment and fulfilling lives. what was your own upbringing like? My dad was a violent alcoholic and one day my mum, who is Indigenous, bundled us all up and we just left. I was 10, and the oldest of the three kids. By the time I started high school mum had gotten into drugs – they’d taken over her life. One day she just walked out on us and she didn’t come back. We were abandoned.

What did you three kids do? We came home from school and she just wasn’t there. After about four days my brother called our grandparents and then the police became involved and it became a really messy situation. My brother went to a boys’ home, my sister went to foster care and I went to a community care place.

That must have been incredibly traumatic. It was. I spent a decent period of time being homeless, living with my grandparents and couch surfing. I now walk past these laneways in Melbourne in my suit and I’ll glance down them and remember sleeping there in a box. It was a terrifying time… I’m sorry I’m getting a bit teary…when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from and its cold and wet… it is very painful recalling this period of my life. I ate food off the ground. I begged for money. I stole fruit from the Vic Markets. You do what you have to do to survive.

How did you survive? I had some very good friends who looked out for me – as did their parents – and I had my grandparents, who were good people. School for me was a refuge, as was sport. I threw myself into school and sport and graduated Year 12.

And so how did you get into social work? I did some labouring jobs after school and worked in a biscuit factory. I knew I needed to earn money to survive. At the age of 22 I got the opportunity to work in a boys’ home and that led me to where I am today.

How do you think your upbringing informs who you are now? About six or seven years ago I saw my father for Father’s Day. I wished him happy Father’s Day and as I was walking away towards the car he said: “I’ve never been a real father to you.” I turned and said, “You’ve been a father to me in ways you’ll never know.” What I didn’t say is that what he taught me was how not to be a father and how not to be a man. He taught me not to abuse kids. He taught me not to be a drunk. He taught me the need to love and care for my own children and my wife. In him I saw the man I didn’t want to be.

And what about with the work you do, mentoring Indigenous kids? I know where many of them have come from. I’ve been there too. I know that if we can put opportunities in front of them, and help and guide them, we can make a huge difference. I broke the mould of disadvantage with my own daughters – they went to university and have good jobs and mortgages and marriages and they are amazing young women. And that’s what we try to do at Ganbina, support kids from an early age as they transition through school and guide them into happy, prosperous lives. I know that with a little bit of guidance and support – I had my grandparents, who were amazing people, teachers and the friends of parents – you can achieve great things.