After a life of adventure, co-founding Lonely Planet and backing great causes — what’s next for Maureen Wheeler?
On a blustery Melbourne morning in late March, we sat down with Maureen Wheeler AO to talk about her early life, her unexpected path into publishing and what inspired her to support us to establish the BSL Innovation Fund.
Born in Belfast during the Troubles, Maureen moved to London in her early twenties, where she soon met Tony.
Their shared love of adventure shaped everything that followed. “I don’t know when my love of travelling started but maybe being born in a very small town that was extremely monocultural was something that made me feel like it would be great to get out and see the world.” Travelling on almost no money, they eventually published their first Lonely Planet book in 1973. “We didn't intend to become publishers. We had travelled overland to Australia and stopped to make some money. We actually arrived in Australia with just 27 cents and had to get jobs.”
Their first book was created at home. “I borrowed my typewriter from work. And we did everything on the kitchen table… It was just 96 pages… we decided to turn that into a book and we stapled every one of those copies and trimmed it.”
They sold it to bookshops before heading off again. “Afterwards, we bought a motorbike and spent 15 months travelling around southeast Asia… We sat down and put that book together, but this time we had a real printer."
As Lonely Planet grew, life was still far from secure for Maureen and Tony. “We didn’t own a house, just a beaten‑up car. I felt I needed some security.” Maureen turned to social work, driven by a long‑held belief: “I was always interested in social work. I always felt that that was the way to make a better life for people working in smaller communities."
Once Lonely Planet became profitable, the couple began giving back to the countries they had travelled through, supporting organisations making a real difference on the ground. This commitment eventually led to the creation of the Planet Wheeler Foundation, which has backed countless community projects globally — including here in Australia.
What set BSL apart for Maureen was clear. “I met a few people from BSL when I was on different boards and I was impressed by the people. I was impressed by the work they were doing, but most of all I was impressed by how they remain non-political and turn research into actual policy.” She added, “I like the grassroots element of a lot of the Brotherhood of St. Laurence research, and I like the fact that they are able to speak to politicians and get something happening in policy.”
If you've got money to give away, then you have to decide what are the things that matter to you. The Innovation Fund enables BSL to target resources better. It's a very worthwhile thing if you want to see money being spent where it's really needed.
To learn more about the Innovation Fund, please contact:
Brenda Segal
Philanthropy Manager
philanthropy@bsl.org.au
1300 001 425