Saturday Magazine

24 Mar 2024

Saturday 23rd March, 2024: A tribute to Legendary Activist for Social Justice, Phil Carswell OAM by Dr Adam Carr

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Saturday 23rd March, 2024: A tribute to Legendary Activist for Social Justice, Phil Carswell OAM by Dr Adam Carr

Nevena and Macca are joined live in the studio by Dr Adam Carr, VAC’s original media spokesperson on the passing of Phil Carswell OAM, Thorne Harbour Health Founding President and a leader in Australia’s response to HIV and AIDS.

From an early age, Phil was an activist for social justice. He was heavily involved in the union
movement as well as the gay and lesbian liberation movement. In 1975, Phil was part of the
first National Homosexual Conference at Melbourne University. The conference went on
to be held annually in different Australian cities, including the Fourth National Homosexual
Conference in Sydney in 1978 following the first Mardi Gras. During that time, Phil was also part
of the Melbourne Gay Teachers’ Group, who notably published the booklet “Young Gay and Proud”.
In 1982, Phil was a member of the ALSO Foundation’s subcommittee on health – tasked with
gathering information about Gay Related Immune Difficiency (GRID) – or as it would be known a
year later Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
In 12 July 1983, Phil was the convenor of the Victorian AIDS Action Committee and the
organisation’s first President as it became the Victorian AIDS Council a year later. Phil went on
to serve in a number of leadership roles at both the state and federal level through the
height of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Australia. He was a founding trustee of the AIDS Trust
of Australia. Phil successfully bridged the gap between the community and public service
sectors. Along with the late Ian Goller, Phil was the first openly gay man employed by the
Victorian Health Department to work on HIV/AIDS prevention. He served on National Advisory
Committee on AIDS alongside Ms Ita Buttrose.
Thorne Harbour Health CEO, Simon Ruth, said, “We are devastated to lose Phil. He was always
understanding, patient, and supportive of our work. He was an incredible mentor to many who
continue to carry his legacy into the work we do today.”
“Our LGBTIQ+ communities and people living with HIV will benefit from his fierce advocacy and
dedication long into the future.”
After his time in Victoria, Phil moved to Queensland where he became a signficant figure in
the Queensland HIV and LGBTIQ+ movement for another 20 years. For his outstanding service
to community health and the response to HIV/AIDS, Phil was awarded a Medal of the Order of
Australia in June 2015.
Phil is survived by his partner of 40 years, Ian Cherry, whom he married on Stonewall Day in
2013 in New York City.