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At 86, Daphne has lived a very big and very full life.
She was born and raised in Tasmania. At age two, she caught and survived polio and at 18 left Tasmania to join the Salvation Army.
Daphne worked with the Salvation Army for 60 years. During this time, she visited many different countries including Sri Lanka, India, Russia, Canada, the Philippines and Samoa, where she worked as a primary school teacher. Almost every two years her work would move her to a new place. Some of her fondest memories were working in the Northern Territory, running a kitchen for the students she taught.
Daphne eventually made her way to St Kilda, and she lived in the area for 25 years. Her connection to the community runs deep. She lived and worked at the Eildon Mansion in the early 2000s on Grey Street – down the road from Sacred Heart Mission – as a housekeeper up until it was sold in 2006. She then went on to live in Balaclava.
Daphne was well known in the community and would regularly go out at nights to provide support to those on the streets of St Kilda, particularly women. She would offer assistance to anyone who needed it.
Daphne continued looking after those in her community even into her 80s. In August 2024, she suffered a stroke that left her without movement in her right side. “Luckily I’m left-handed,” she laughs. The stroke led her to Sacred Heart Mission’s Residential Aged-Care home, Sacred Heart Community.
Since her stroke and moving into Sacred Heart Community she has been using a wheelchair to get around. However, mobility can be difficult due to the lack of movement in her right side.
Mel, the spiritual care worker at Sacred Heart Community, was able to organise the donation of a motorised wheelchair for Daphne.
The team at Rehab Hire stepped in to help and came out to Sacred Heart Community to help fit Daphne for her new chair and to show her how to use it.
“I love my chair,” says Daphne but admits she’s probably a little hard on the joystick at the moment. “I had to jump out of the way, so my toes didn’t get run over on her first couple of tries,” laughs Mel.
Daphne is currently working hard with the physio team practicing using the chair. “In a couple of weeks, I’ll be outside,” she says.
Daphne loves to read and write. She reads every single day, sometimes staying up until two in the morning to finish it. She also writes a lot of letters. Currently she gives them to staff to post but says the first thing she will be doing once she’s out and about in her new wheelchair is pop to the post office and post them herself.
Having access to the new chair enables Daphne to get back out into the community she loves so much. She’s also already planning some trips on the train into the city.
“I am so grateful to the team at Rehab Hire for being able to offer and donate the chair. It’s amazing how this has brought so such freedom and joy to Daphne, Mel says.
For Daphne, other than getting out and about there’s one more step. “I’m a Collingwood supporter, so will be getting some flags to go on my chair…and a horn of course,” she laughs.
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You can watch the video of Daphne getting fitted for her chair and trying it for the first time on Rehab Hires Instagram.
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