We are deeply saddened by the passing of our esteemed Life Governor and Historian, John Bindon.

John started attending YMCA programs with his father when he was 8 years old, in 1945, assisting with support for soldiers returning from war.

He completed Youth Leadership training in 1958 and was employed for nearly 20 years at the YMCA between 1959-1978, in numerous roles including working at the National Office and as Area Director of the Western suburbs, including establishing Essendon YMCA.

In the past ten plus years, John concentrated on ensuring that the YMCA’s war records were in order and accessible.

He put in extraordinary hours to ensure that details of the service of YMCA representatives in theatres of war are well documented and thorough.

He was instrumental in coordinating the ongoing task of managing National YMCA’s valuable archives. He established and maintained important relationships with other archival institutions, including the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

Without his dedication to preserving the documentary evidence of the YMCA’s efforts during the war years, this information would be lost to future generations.

John was named a YMCA Life Governor in 2019 for his exceptional service at the national level for a staff member or volunteer, for his unrelenting service to the protection of our past and not letting those who served the YMCA be forgotten.

Watch a video recording of John’s history with the YMCA here.