CEO’s Message

Friendship is a Superpower!

In 1875, Mary Elizabeth Townsend saw something the world was missing – true friendship. This visionary woman, well ahead of her time, founded GFS to create spaces where friendship could flourish. Her vision sparked a global movement that continues to grow and evolve right here in Western Australia. By 1888, GFS Perth was legally established, making us one of Western Australia’s longest-standing community organisations. While we still share the international GFS name, we’re a proudly independent WA-based organisation with deep local roots. Mary’s early mission focused on supporting young women moving from rural areas to cities during the Industrial Revolution. Life was tough and lonely for girls and young women who had few rights, couldn’t vote or own property, and faced widespread exploitation and abuse. Through friendship, support, and safe housing, GFS helped them find their feet and flourish. In 1880, Queen Victoria gave her royal patronage to the Girls’ Friendly Society and the queen herself acted as an associate admitting servant girls at Balmoral to membership. By 1900, GFS grown to over 185,000 members across more than 1,300 branches.

What began in the UK quickly reached across the globe as GFS expanded to Ireland, Australia, Korea, the U.S., Ghana, Kenya, and beyond, one thing remained constant: friendship at the centre of everything. Over generations, we’ve responded to changing times with holiday houses, youth groups, community programmes, and practical support for people navigating work, health, family, and social isolation.

Now we see a new kind of challenge: epidemic levels of disconnection and loneliness in our increasingly busy, digital world. That’s why we’re building Friendship Central: a four-acre space rooted in permaculture principles, designed to grow connection, nurture wellbeing, and celebrate belonging.

Today, GFS Perth proudly carries Mary’s legacy forward through Friendship Central, our vibrant new space taking shape at 4380 West Swan Road.

Picture a community café, a makers’ market shop, acres of productive permaculture gardens where you can offer your skills, a children’s play space, and creative programmes that bring people together in meaningful ways. From breathwork and meditation to seed collecting and compost making, plus unique experience packages and quiet corners to just be: it’s a place for all ages and stages, where hands get dirty, hearts get lighter, and friendships grow strong.

We stand on the shoulders of generations who believed in the power of friendship. As we shape this new chapter, we’re inviting you to walk alongside us.

Let’s grow a future where everyone feels they belong. Because friendship truly is a superpower.

Alison Gilchrist
CEO, GFS Perth