THE KOKODA CHALLENGE ASSOCIATION IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION, FORMED BY FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN DOUG HENDERSON IN JANUARY 2005.

Doug was compelled to be involved in promoting awareness of the Kokoda Track and believed that incorporating young Australians was the key to raising the profile of the history of Kokoda.

In July 2004, Doug was at an RSL conference when a guest speaker spoke of Australia's military history, in particular the battle of the Kokoda Track and the Pacific Campaign.

Doug, who has been at the forefront of Veterans' issues for the past decade, was profoundly affected by what he heard and overcome by shame about the fact so few Australians knew the real story of how significant the Kokoda military campaign was to Australia's history.

The Kokoda Challenge Association was established in January 2005 with two main aims;

1. To educate youth and raise general public awareness of the gallant victory by Australian soldiers in 1942 on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea – a victory which undoubtedly saved Australia from Japanese occupation
2. To identify young Australians who are at a crossroad and support them through a 14 month community counsel – The Kokoda Challenge Youth Program. This requires the participants selected to undertake a 14 month commitment to a community program, designed and supported by the Kokoda Challenge Association, which encourages participants to develop self-awareness within the wider community and prepare them for the challenges of life. The Kokoda Challenge Youth Program culminates in the participants using the skills and training gained, to undertake the challenge of walking the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea

To enable the Kokoda Challenge Association to achieve these main aims it was decided that funds would be raised by conducting a yearly Queensland Kokoda Challenge Event – to be held in the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Funds raised from this event finance the cost of the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program, which includes training and bush camps and the associated costs of travel to Papua New Guinea to walk the Kokoda Track.

Click here to read more about the benefits of the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program!