Thanks to Gary Lancaster

22 May 2024

It is with the greatest sadness and heavy heart we will say farewell to one of the kindest humans to walk this earth.


Gary Lancaster.


Gary and his beloved best friend and wife Melissa have been staunch supporters of Protea Place since the very beginning. Mel joined the Protea Place team in Dec of 2023 as our Admin Queen. When we got Mel we also got Gary as a package deal.


Gary was always fixing things around Protea Place, doing gardening and always calling in favours to help us out. Gary’s love for family, community & most of all his beautiful Mel is etched in our hearts forever.


In honour of Gary and in heartfelt support for Mel and family, Protea Place will be closed on Monday 27th May so that we can celebrate his life and special place in our lives.


Sadly missed, never forgotten.

Gary Lancaster

"Our dear friend Gary, we are richer for knowing you and struggling to grieve for you.  We will miss your beautiful smile and kind giving spirit. We see your beautiful moonbeam face everywhere Gaz."


Protea Place

A huge Thank you to ALE Clothing & Signs Pty Ltd and DP Wealth Advisory for their incredible support.

10 September 2025
A huge thank you to ALE Clothing & Signs Pty Ltd and DP Wealth Advisory for their incredible support. If you know, you know, and we know these two blokes are pretty amazing humans. Thanks to Andrew and Campbell for sponsoring the brand-new wrap on the Protea Place van. She looks absolutely fantastic, and we are so grateful for your generosity and kindness.

Protea Place 2025 Promo

10 September 2025
A Lifeline for Protea Place The June 2025 announcement of a government contribution towards the operational costs of Protea Place has been a true lifeline for us. This funding assists with: Wages for our skilled practitioners Rent for our site However, we remain responsible for raising the additional funds required to cover: Meals Insurances Utilities Running vehicles Emergency brokerage for clients Programs and resources Marketing and events Office equipment and stationery Our Welcome Home Project While we apply for community grants wherever possible, most do not allow for covering existing or ongoing costs. That’s why the support of our community is so vital. We are deeply grateful to: Our sponsors and donors who give a little regularly — it makes an immense difference. Those who host fundraising events on our behalf. Those who quietly deposit a gift into our account. Those who drop off food and clothing donations. Those who provide free or heavily reduced goods and services. Looking ahead, we will be hosting two major fundraisers in 2026 and warmly thank you in advance for attending, purchasing raffle tickets, or supporting us through sponsorship. 

Protea Place - Welcome Home Project 2025

10 September 2025
Warning: Tissues May Be Required! Happy Tears Only! Through our Welcome Home Project , we had the privilege of helping a woman find her way home. This heartwarming milestone was only possible thanks to the incredible support and generosity of agencies, businesses, and our wider community, who came together with one goal: to make a house a home. 4 Homes in 1 Day  An extraordinary collaboration made possible by an extraordinary community. We are deeply grateful to: People First Bank Foundation Set Up Youturn Brokerage Footprints Community Brokerage MYER WHP Community Grant (furniture) Queensland Housing IHR Thru A Lens Media (video) McNab (vouchers) A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for turning hope into reality. Images shared with full consent. Special thanks to our supporters: Sam O'Connor MP · David Janetzki MP · Amanda Camm MP · David Crisafulli MP · Trevor Watts