Joan Healey

Joan Healey (b. 1934, Melbourne) is an Australian journalist, adventurer, author and pioneer of adventure playgrounds. Her career began as a factory-hand, salesgirl, and librarian before securing a journalism cadetship at Woman’s Day magazine, and later working at Adelaide News and ABC Sydney. After hitchhiking around Australia, she moved to London in 1970 and worked in the East End as a play educator at the East End’s adventure playgrounds. On her return to Melbourne, she established Australia’s first adventure playground in Fitzroy Melbourne, affectionately known as The Cubbies (est. 1973). She also helped establish adventure playgrounds in St Kilda, South Melbourne, Prahran and The Venny in Kensington. Joan was instrumental in advocating for the rights of children to play and propagated the British educator and adventure playground pioneer, Lady Marjory Allen of Hurwood’s ethos: “Better a broken bone than a broken spirit”.

Aged 90, Joan published The Cubbies: The Battle for Australia’s First Adventure Playground, 2024 (Monash University Publishing) — a compelling account of the political, social, and community struggles that shaped this pioneering space for children’s play, including challenges with authorities like the Catholic Church and ASIO.