Hugh Mackay in Conversation

Compassion Ballarat • May 18, 2021

On 18 May 2021, social psychologist Hugh Mackay was in Ballarat to speak about the book he wrote during the lockdown of 2020 to demonstrate how crises often turn out to be the making of us.

Entitled The Kindness Revolution: How We can restore hope, rebuild trust and inspire optimism, this book calls us to dream of a more loving country – more inclusive, more compassionate, more creative, by living ‘as if’ Australia is already that country.


Hugh was in conversation with Assoc Prof Rick Chew, Director, Ballarat Arts Academy and Dr Lynne Reeder on Tuesday 18 May at 5.00pm in the Seminar Theatre, Ballarat Tech Park Central, 110 Lydiard St Sth.


This public event will featured an video adaptation of the song ‘What a Wonderful World’ performed by the Arts Academy students at the time of the same sex marriage debates. Our Arts Academy made this video ‘….to imagine the world through art, not as it is, but as it could be. A message of love and equality from the heart of Ballarat’. 


What a Wonderful World, The Ballarat Arts Academy and The BallaRat Pack Orchestra - YouTube

Compassionate Ballarat Featured in Global Conference

By Lynne Reeder • June 3, 2025
The Charter for Compassion recently held its first ever global conference and Compassionate Ballarat was accepted to present. This conference served as a vibrant platform for sharing insights, and actionable ideas to foster a more compassionate and equitable world. You can listen to the presentation on the history and work of Compassionate Ballarat

New Need Help Brochure

By Compassion Ballarat • May 2, 2025
Do you need help or know someone who does? If you do, then this booklet is for you as it brings together all the food, shelter, support services, and learning services across Ballarat into one place. To make it easier in these cost of living times this booklet provides direct contact details, so in most cases you won’t need to go online. This 2025 version has been updated and so provides many more services than our previous brochure. Let’s look after each other in Ballarat.

2024 National Day of Compassion

By Lynne Reeder • October 7, 2024
Each year the Australian Compassion Council holds a National Day of Compassion, to provide a meaningful opportunity for all Australians to participate in learning about and in practicing compassion. This is the fourth year this National Day has been convened and each National Day has a theme and in 2024 our Theme is Compassion and Deep Connection which featured six facets of deep connection including: Contested spaces - Indigenous Justice - Peace Culture - Repairing Relationships - Innate Connection with our Environment - Dealing with our Distracted World. The National Day started with a launch that included presentations from the CEO of the global Charter for Compassion, Marilyn Turkovich on the Charter’s involvement in the 19th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates – with the Australian Charter Ambassador, Hugh Mackay, AO on Deep Connection in Community - and with the National Lead of the Australian Compassion Council, Dr Lynne Reeder on a Compassionate City project entitled Seeds of Compassion along with some inspiring young students and their compassionate wishes for their city. You can access the video recordings of this day here:
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