Vision to help blind enters its 100th year

Donating a gold coin to dress casually each Friday, staff raised $4750.50 for the Victoria Park charity, which will go towards its Emergency Vet Fund to help guide dog owners pay for urgent surgery and other hefty vet bills.

The association traces its origins to the foundation of the Ladies’ Braille Society in 1913 which quickly moved beyond the simple task of transcribing braille literature, beginning home teaching, social work and advocacy shortly after World War I to establish the Rest Home for the Aged Blind at Victoria Park in 1923.

The first working Guide Dog in Australia was Dreena, brought to Perth from England in 1950 by Arnold Cook.

Dr Cook helped establish Australia’s first Guide Dogs for the Blind organisation in Perth in 1951. Within 12 months, the first Australian trained guide dog, Beau, was working with its owner Elsie Mead.

A centenary charity dinner called ‘Focus on Success: Benefits Everyone Can See’ will be held on Saturday, August 24.