About Lifeline
Lifeline is Australia’s leading suicide prevention service. We are a national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24-hour crisis support. We are here for you.
Our history
Lifeline Founder, Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker
Lifeline was founded in 1963 by the late Reverend Dr. Sir Alan Walker.
Sir Walker had received a call from a distressed man who later took his own life. Determined not to let isolation and lack of support be the cause of more deaths, Sir Walker launched a 24-hour crisis support line. This service (13 11 14) now answers over a million calls a year from Australians in emotional distress or crisis.
Lifeline’s services are now made possible through the efforts of 1,000 staff and 10,000 volunteers, operating from over 60 locations nationwide.
Services and resources are provided through face to face, phone, text, and online mediums. Through our commitment to ensuring that no person in Australia has to face their darkest moments alone, we continue to work towards ensuring our services are available to any Australian who needs us at any time, and on any platform they feel most comfortable seeking our support.
When I was sworn in as Australia’s 28th Governor-General, I promised to bring an unstinting focus on care, kindness and respect. These … are at the heart of Lifeline, and the inspiration for the generous work of compassion and love in service to Australians across the country, for so many years.
Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia and Lifeline Australia Patron.
In March 2025, Lifeline Australia was proud to welcome Ms Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia as our new Patron.
Ms Mostyn is a distinguished leader whose work spans business, sport, the arts and social justice.
She succeeds John Brogden after two years as Lifeline Patron. The former Lifeline Chair (2012-2021) remains a passionate advocate for Lifeline Australia’s crisis support and suicide prevention services.
Changing the conversation around suicide
As a thought leader in suicide prevention, Lifeline creates new knowledge, advocates for life saving supports and develops evidence-based programs to keep Australians safe.
Our corporate governance
Centred around transparency and accountability, our governance framework underpins everything we do.