Our History

It all started with a simple purpose.

Sunnyfield was founded in 1952 by young parents, Hazel and Fred Whiddon.

The couple was driven initially to create more opportunities and a supportive community for their disabled son, which at the time was extremely limited, they met with 18 other dedicated, like-minded founding parents to come together for the inaugural meeting of The Manly Sunnyfield Association.

Up until the late 1990s, Sunnyfield coordinated “sheltered workshops” in which individuals living with a disability could socialise and perform basic, repetitive tasks in a highly supported environment to help foster a sense of purpose and acquire new skills.

Expanding the operation with new sites in Chatswood (2000) and Western Sydney (2006), Sunnyfield Packaging Services continued to expand in 2012 with the addition of cleanroom packaging facilities to service both the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Today, we provide employment for up to 200 individuals living with disabilities in a safe and supportive environment.

To find out more about our disability services, please head to the website sunnyfield.org.au